Thursday, November 29, 2018

Hunky Heartbreaker by Kendall Ryan Blog Tour

HUNKY HEARTBREAKER
By Kendall Ryan
Release Day – November 27, 2018
STANDALONE


From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kendall Ryan comes a new story in her Whiskey Kisses series… 

Everything’s bigger in Texas.

And that includes Duke Wilder’s sexual appetite.

Together with his twin brother, he runs a whiskey distillery, and when their business takes off—suddenly he’s got it all. Success. Money. Family. But he doesn’t have a woman to share it with.

When Valentina storms into his life, her presence is only supposed to be temporary. She’s a feisty attorney hired to help clean up his company’s recent legal mess. He never counted on her being the one to turn his whole world upside down.

After spending most of his life living in the shadow of his brother, Duke has something to prove, and he’s not about to let this distraction get in the way of his plans, no matter how hot things get.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**


My Thoughts: 4 Stars
This is a very short story and still felt jam packed of fun.The Wilder boys own a distillery that they are getting back on it's feet after their late father dragged it to the ground. Then they find out the name can't be used. So sexy lawyer, best friend of Luke's wife comes to town. First time she meets Duke there is sexual tension. She is a big city gal and he is a small town playboy. They do end up spending time with each other and getting to know each other but is there enough there for the 2 of them to make a life changing decision for them. Also someone from Duke's past comes back into town and will that make a decision for them also. I enjoyed getting to know Luke and Charlotte, Duke and Valentina. I recieved 

EXCERPT
“I’ll drink to that,” I replied, flagging the bartender down for another round.
Just then some movement over Valentina’s shoulder caught my eye. A woman had just walked into the bar, her chin-length, curly brown hair bouncing with every step. Our eyes met, and she smiled like she knew me. I gave her a half smile back, which quickly faded when I realized who she was. Amber, my ex from college who’d moved away shortly after we graduated. Her hair was different, but her face was pretty much the same. The same round cheeks, full lips, pale blue eyes. Eyes that bore into mine as she turned the corner, making her way to our table.
It was then that I noticed she wasn’t alone. She had a boy with her, and when his gaze met mine, my stomach dropped.
That kid could have been my clone.
Brown hair, green eyes, same nose, same chin. He even had my same damn dimples. My heart was beating so hard, I thought it might jump right out from my throat. What the hell?
“Earth to Duke, are you paying for this round, or am I?” Valentina’s voice broke me from my panic just in time for Amber and the little boy to reach our table.
“Hey there, Duke. I was hoping I’d find you here.” Amber’s voice was just as sweet and syrupy as ever, but in that moment, it sounded to me like nails on a chalkboard. She smiled broadly at me, her hands on the boy’s shoulders, while the boy stared blankly up at me.
“Hey, Amber,” I said when I finally found my voice. “What’s it been, ten years?”
“Almost eleven.”
I nodded, my mind still spinning, and that’s when I noticed Valentina. She was sitting up perfectly straight, her lips pulled into a thin, taut line across her face. Her eyes were wide and trained on the boy’s face, her expression unreadable.
“This is Valentina,” I said, gesturing to her, but the moment the words left my mouth, Valentina stood and grabbed her purse.
“I was just leaving,” she said, quickly tucking her chair in behind her and forcing a smile at Amber and the boy.
“Valentina—”










AVAILABLE NOW











A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she's appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras












































Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses by Jenny Hale review

Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe KissesChristmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses by Jenny  Hale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Abbey is a single mother who works as a nurse but is hired to be a personal nurse for Caroline. Caroline's grandson hires Abbey to also decorate his home for Christmas. He is a workaholic worth millions and never has time for family or play. Until he meets Abbey who shows him what it is like. We get to start seeing a soft side to him and what makes him be the person who he is. Abbey has been raising her son along with the help of her mom and Gramps. Gramps has health issues and needs meds that are expensive so what Abbey will make doing the interior designing of the mansion, she can afford his meds. Abbey's son Max falls for Nick and spends what time he can with him. Can Abbey and Max show Nick that family and fun is just as important as work?
I received this from the publisher for an honest review.

You can buy the book on Amazon https://amzn.to/2SgJgnS


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Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Lost Angels (The Lost Archangels Series Book 0) by Tatenda Creed review

.Lost Angels (The Lost Archangels Series Book 0)Lost Angels by Tatenda Creed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
At first I didn't know what to think. I was confused by all the characters and what was going on and then I had one of those oh yeah, now I get it moments. Then I couldn't stop reading. It is a shirt book about 2 hours of reading time.
Lucifer is wanting to cut the wings of all the archangels, who are his brothers and sisters and wants to take over God and be God himself and rule the world. This mentions a love story but I really did not see it. I did like this story and it leaves you on a cliffhanger wanting to read the next book.


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Buy the book on Amazon https://amzn.to/2QoN5tH


Tiger's Claim by Celia Kyle review

Tiger's Claim (Shifter Rogues, #2)Jaguar shifter Stella Moore has one thing on her mind - to take down the anti-shifter organization that destroyed her family. Her plans are going perfectly until a sexy-as-sin stranger throws off her game and decides the only way they can both avoid getting caught is to claim her as his girlfriend. Wait! What? Now she has to fly to a tropical island and play along because the alternative is...deadly.

Most people know Cole Turner as an uber-wealthy playboy - not as a tiger shifter who's part of a special ops team to protect his kind. Now his undercover mission has been compromised by a redheaded bombshell, and every animal instinct he has is screaming mate. To survive among so many enemies, they'll have to keep up their romantic act, find their intel... and absolutely not fall in love along the way.


Tiger's Claim by Celia Kyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Stella and Cole meet in a compromising situation. They are both after the same person but for different reasons. Cole has had to save Stella's butt several times but while this is going on their attraction is getting stronger and she wants to deny it but he doesn't. A group is out there to take down all shifters and the shifters have a group to take those people down. Stella is a Jaguar shifter while Cole is a tiger and these 2 want to mate. But will they ever get the chance? The man that Stella is after has ruined her family and she wants revenge. Cole's group just wants to take him down and take apart the group out to destroy shifters. I enjoyed the characters and even though they all sound bad ass to each other you can tell they are all there for each other.
I received this from Forever and NetGalley for review.



Find this on Amazon https://amzn.to/2R4MI4R

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Hunky Heartbreaker Release Day



HUNKY HEARTBREAKER
By Kendall Ryan
Release Day – November 27, 2018
STANDALONE


From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kendall Ryan comes a new story in her Whiskey Kisses series… 

Everything’s bigger in Texas.

And that includes Duke Wilder’s sexual appetite.

Together with his twin brother, he runs a whiskey distillery, and when their business takes off—suddenly he’s got it all. Success. Money. Family. But he doesn’t have a woman to share it with.

When Valentina storms into his life, her presence is only supposed to be temporary. She’s a feisty attorney hired to help clean up his company’s recent legal mess. He never counted on her being the one to turn his whole world upside down.

After spending most of his life living in the shadow of his brother, Duke has something to prove, and he’s not about to let this distraction get in the way of his plans, no matter how hot things get.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

AMAZON US:  https://amzn.to/2S19lHl




EXCERPT
“Good morning, darlin’. Could I interest you in some breakfast sausage?”
The woman turned, her long, dark curls swinging around her shoulders. A look of disgust quickly washed over her face as her eyes locked on my bulge.
Ay dios mio, you’ve got to be f#cking kidding me,” she muttered, immediately taking her briefcase from the counter and marching to the front door, her red-bottomed heels clacking loudly on the hardwood.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, stumbling after her.
“Last time I do a favor for a friend,” she said under her breath, slamming the front door shut behind her.
Favor. Friend. Beautiful woman in a pencil skirt. Charlotte’s hotshot lawyer friend from Los Angeles.
Oh f#ck.
“Hey, uh, Valencia, wait up!”
I burst through the door to find her paused on the top step of the porch. She turned sharply to look me dead on, the fire in her eyes enough to burn me straight through.
“It’s Valentina,” she spat, crossing her arms and cocking her hip to the side.
“Valentina, right. My mistake. Listen, I’m really sorry about all this. We were out late last night for—”
“For the opening, I know. I was supposed to be there, but something came up at work. So instead, I got my ass onto a last-minute redeye to make it in time for our meeting this morning, but clearly you had other things in mind,” she said, her eyes flitting to my quickly-softening cock before turning again to leave.
“No, please, don’t go. This is completely unprofessional, I know—”
“That’s the understatement of the century.”
“But I promise, if you give me a chance, we can turn this meeting around.”
“Is it still a meeting when one person shows up with his dick out?”
“Oh, trust me, sweetheart, if my dick was out, you’d know it.”
“Sure, as long as I brought a magnifying glass with me.”
I paused, standing up a little straighter. She squared her shoulders, and our eyes locked, the tension between us thick enough to cut with a knife.
If we were going to make this work, I knew I had to be the one to budge. But dammit if this woman didn’t make me want to blow my lid.
“Look, I’m sorry. Please stay. If not for me, then for Luke and Charlotte.”
Valentina sighed and put a hand on her hip.
“Fine. Put some goddamn pants on first, and then we’ll talk.”








From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kendall Ryan comes a new story in her Whiskey Kisses series…

Everything’s bigger in Texas.

And that includes Duke Wilder’s sexual appetite.

Together with his twin brother, he runs a whiskey distillery, and when their business takes off—suddenly he’s got it all. Success. Money. Family. But he doesn’t have a woman to share it with.

When Valentina storms into his life, her presence is only supposed to be temporary. She’s a feisty attorney hired to help clean up his company’s recent legal mess. He never counted on her being the one to turn his whole world upside down.

After spending most of his life living in the shadow of his brother, Duke has something to prove, and he’s not about to let this distraction get in the way of his plans, no matter how hot things get.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**


AVAILABLE NOW






“Good morning, darlin’. Could I interest you in some breakfast sausage?”

The woman turned, her long, dark curls swinging around her shoulders. A look of disgust quickly washed over her face as her eyes locked on my bulge.

Ay dios mio, you’ve got to be f#cking kidding me,” she muttered, immediately taking her briefcase from the counter and marching to the front door, her red-bottomed heels clacking loudly on the hardwood.

“What’s the matter?” I asked, stumbling after her.

“Last time I do a favor for a friend,” she said under her breath, slamming the front door shut behind her.

Favor. Friend. Beautiful woman in a pencil skirt. Charlotte’s hotshot lawyer friend from Los Angeles.

Oh f#ck.

“Hey, uh, Valencia, wait up!”

I burst through the door to find her paused on the top step of the porch. She turned sharply to look me dead on, the fire in her eyes enough to burn me straight through.

“It’s Valentina,” she spat, crossing her arms and cocking her hip to the side.

“Valentina, right. My mistake. Listen, I’m really sorry about all this. We were out late last night for—”

“For the opening, I know. I was supposed to be there, but something came up at work. So instead, I got my ass onto a last-minute redeye to make it in time for our meeting this morning, but clearly you had other things in mind,” she said, her eyes flitting to my quickly-softening cock before turning again to leave.

“No, please, don’t go. This is completely unprofessional, I know—”

“That’s the understatement of the century.”

“But I promise, if you give me a chance, we can turn this meeting around.”

“Is it still a meeting when one person shows up with his dick out?”

“Oh, trust me, sweetheart, if my dick was out, you’d know it.”

“Sure, as long as I brought a magnifying glass with me.”

I paused, standing up a little straighter. She squared her shoulders, and our eyes locked, the tension between us thick enough to cut with a knife.

If we were going to make this work, I knew I had to be the one to budge. But dammit if this woman didn’t make me want to blow my lid.

“Look, I’m sorry. Please stay. If not for me, then for Luke and Charlotte.”

Valentina sighed and put a hand on her hip.

“Fine. Put some goddamn pants on first, and then we’ll talk.”








A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she's appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras











Monday, November 26, 2018

The Corner of Holly and Ivy by Debbie Mason review

The Corner of Holly and Ivy: A feel-good Christmas romanceThe Corner of Holly and Ivy: A feel-good Christmas romance by Debbie Mason
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Arianna has shut herself in her bedroom after losing everything in a fire and being injured. Then she runs into her ex Connor, from high school, who also was her ex husband's attorney in their divorce and she was left penniless. Arianna lives with her grandmother and has nothing to do with her mom. Her grandma is running for mayor against Connor's uncle. But then something changes and Connor ends up running against Arianna. This turns them against each other just when they found love again but Connor isn't about to give up on her. Then he finds out a secret from her past that may ruin anything between them. Meanwhile Arianna is trying to build her confidence again and using therapy to strengthen her arm. This was such a great storyline. I love Gramma, Connor and Arianna. But Connir's parents and his uncle are very selfish people and I really wanted to slap them.

I received this from NetGalley for an honest review.

You can buy the book on Amazon https://amzn.to/2ByTsm7


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Friday, November 23, 2018

Not Quite Christmas by Sharon Kleve review

Not Quite ChristmasNot Quite Christmas by Sharon Kleve
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adair has been living all over as a nurse. She has decided to come home and settle in the town with her family and goes home for Christmas to surprise them. Meanwhile there are all kind of flight cancellations because of the weather.
Easton is a cartoon artist who is going to Seattle and stay with friends and maybe live there permanently. They both end up sharing an uber and riding a bus together and traveling together and find they have a lot in common and there is an attraction. Since this only has 89 pages it is an instalov/romance which I don't normally like but then again they moved slowly and you do get enough of a glimpse to see what they are like together and the chemistry.
It was a great book that I received from the author

Available on Amazon https://amzn.to/2DVH4yZ


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A Christmas Star by Judith Keim review

A Christmas StarA Christmas Star by Judith Keim
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an amazing story that I could not put down. It had me laughing out loud and it had me in tears at the end.
Noelle North is a health director at an assisted living home. She was engaged and on her wedding her fiance ran off with an ex who was his best friend's wife. She does not trust men and he was very wealthy and used to buying anything he wants. When 4 women at the assisted living tell her she needs a vacation and tells her about a cottage in Florida. As she gets there she meets up with a little boy named Silas and she sees how his grandmother is being mistreated and abused and she takes charge right there and then. Which sets off the whole store. Noelle is a very independent woman who likes to help others but does not want any of their money. The relationship between the boy, Silas, and herself was so heartwarming. How the 2 other men treat her is funny as well. So you know this is a romance and probably how things will end up but getting to that part is what drew me in and watching them all interact with each other. Noelle isn't much of a cook and she wants to get better at that as well.
I received this from the author for an honest review.

You can buy this on AMazon https://amzn.to/2r3ZOUt


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Monday, November 19, 2018

Breathless by Cherrie Lynn Release Day and review

Breathless (Ross Siblings, #6)Breathless by Cherrie Lynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Seth and Macy Warren haven't been married long, but they have their eyes on the future. Macy is excited to start a family, while Seth debates the pros and cons of giving up their spontaneity for the potential perils of parenthood. But Macy thinks she can convince him...
When he gets a chance to relive some of his past glory days by rejoining his former band onstage, though, he jumps at it. Still, she thinks she can turn the trip to his gig into some baby-making fun. Until she comes face-to-face with a part of Seth’s past that she'd hoped to never deal with again.
Macy knows she shouldn't have her doubts. But she also knows that when you have everything, you have everything to lose.


My Thoughts:


Seth and Macy haven't been married long. He is a tattoo artist and used to be in a band. I know Macy is into rodeos but I am not sure what her full time job is. They are madly in love with each other and they want to start a family. Seth gets a phone call to do 1 gig with his old band. Macy is not so sure about it because of what happened the last time, which you will find out when you read this. After discussing their future and how he wants to really do this gig one last time then they decide to do it. Even though there are only 89 pages you still get to know the characters. I enjoyed how they feed off each other when something is wrong and their little bit of roll playing made me laugh.
I received this from Entangled for review.

Buy this on Amazon https://amzn.to/2OTaEG6
It came out today Nov. 19, 2018


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You're the One I Don't Want Blog Tour




Today we are celebrating the release of the newest standalone title from Carrie Aarons. YOU'RE THE ONE I DON'T WANT is now live and available to read for FREE in KindleUnlimited. You will not want to miss this second-chance romance. Be sure to follow Carrie for exclusive updates about her releases.




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You're the One I Don't Want by Carrie Aarons


Read it for FREE in KindleUnlimited!

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Book Blurb:


Love is weakness.

Which is why Annabelle Mills vowed a long time ago to never let it destruct her. A former pageant queen with a bite equally as lethal as her bark, she’s interning at her dream job on the set of the highest-rated home design show on television. Everything in Annabelle’s life, though it may be cold and isolated, is going exactly as she always planned.

Until her ex-high school sweetheart moves to town. The same boy that she cheated on, once upon a time, essentially breaking both of their hearts. But no one knows the full story, and being vulnerable enough to open up about it is not on Annabelle’s checklist.

Hate is fuel.

The kind that courses through Boone Graham’s veins and allows him to shut out everyone around him. As the hottest rookie on Austin’s professional baseball team, he should be spending his days hitting homeruns and signing jerseys. Except he’s seen dreams ripped right out from under those closest to him, leaving them with nothing.

Without a college degree, he’ll never take the risk of pursuing his real dream. But when he runs into the girl who took a mallet to his heart and stopped it beating, attending the same university might just be the biggest challenge he’s faced yet.

As the semester unfolds, the line between love and hate is blurred. And with the amount of baggage stacked between them, together is the last thing they want to be.

That’s the thing about hearts, though. They develop plans all on their own.


My Thoughts: 5 Stars
Annabelle broke Boone's heart in high school when she cheated on him. The book starts out a few years later when they run into each other again in college. She comes from a home that her mom ran out of when she was a little girl and never got over. She thinks she doesn't deserve love. She is going to college and on a TV show and hoping her mom will notice and be proud of her. All her life she has done things that her mom could read about.
Boone come from a home where his dad is an alcoholic who doesn't work and his mom works 3 jobs to keep the roof over their heads. He decides he doesn't want to end up like his dad and wants a college education and he wants to play major league baseball. Then his mom won't have to work anymore.
When these 2 meet again they both try to change a little. Boone though finds out something about Annabelle, that he thinks she is doing and is angry with her.He doesn't let her explain herself. As we get to know both of these characters and how much their hearts have been broken and Annabelle really hides everything and comes off as a bitch, you will fall for both of them. This takes place in Texas so it has a little bit of that in there. I also like the people that Annabelle works for and how they are like family to her.





EXCERPT: 


Boone






I only have an hour in between my workout and the film session that the hitting coaches want us to attend.



My entire schedule since moving to Austin has been busy as hell and completely out of whack. Between getting my class schedule figured out, sprinting across campus to get to the buildings, dealing with my moving company, figuring out where to park my car in front of my building, practicing with the Triple-A affiliate team I was drafted to and everything in between … I’m fucking wiped.



I’ve been scouted for the major leagues since my sophomore year of high school, so I thought I’d been semi-prepared for what was to come, but my mind feels like it has been put in a blender for the last two weeks. I had so not been prepared. It was as if I was hobbling around in the dark in my new reality, trying to grasp at things before they moved on me.



I needed to get it the fuck together. I am a professional now and having a career as a professional baseball player would only get harder from here.



From the few times I’d visited Austin for tournaments or the odd family trip, I remember we’d gone to Big Cheese’s Grill. They boasted the best burgers in town, and it was close enough to campus that the place was always packed with students and professors alike.



I open the door to the restaurant while glancing at my iWatch to check the calories versus fat burned during my workout.



And I slam right into a body.



I bounce back, shocked at the person who just rammed into me. I fumble to hold on to them, to keep our gravity from sending both of us flying. I fail, and the body falls backward, the door slamming into my back. I absorb that blow and keep upright, thank God, or I would have been sprawled flat on top of whoever just plowed into me.



“Seriously?! Watch where you’re going!” An angry, high-pitched tone fills my ears.



My head is down, trying to collect its scrambled thoughts, as I reach for whoever I just knocked to the ground. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize you were coming out—”



The air and words leave me as I pull her up. Her hand is still in mine as we stand face-to-face, my surprise mirrored back at me. Those lips, the lashes, the eyes a rich, deep, soul-searching brown. The freckles across the bridge of her nose that make her look more innocent than she actually is.



A current of tension radiates back and forth between our interlocked hands, and I can smell the glass of wine she must have just drunk on her breath. It’s sweet with a bite of alcohol, and my mouth waters for a drink. I haven’t thirsted for alcohol in five years, yet in one chance meeting, Annabelle has me reaching for a bottle. She’s poison to me, makes me want to do crazy things. I drop her hand as the thought crosses my mind, as if she’s burned me.



“You should really watch where you’re going. Or did you knock me down on purpose?” Annabelle sniffs.



I scoff, “Right, I often go around pushing women to the ground on purpose. I see the cold hard ice hasn’t melted off your personality, Annabelle.”



And a woman she is. So much more grown up than I remembered her. She’d always been beautiful but gone was the gangliness of teenage years. This is a woman who stands in front of me, curves abound and an unseen knowledge of the world to match. I couldn’t help but get that jab in there.



“And I see you’re just as focused on yourself as ever. You never did care what anyone else was doing, did you, Boone?” She folds her arms over her chest and my eyes stray to her boobs in a sizzle of heat between us.



We’re like a bunch of children fighting like cats and dogs out in the street. How can she still pull out every insecure and immature trait within me? My brain is moving seconds slower than it usually does, and I know I’m standing here staring too long. Even though I hate Annabelle Mills, I can’t help but memorize every detail about her for the first time I’ve seen her in about five years.



Move.” Annabelle pushes past me, not using any manners, and starts to stalk down the sidewalk.



Talk about rude. She’d always been aggressive, harsh, and just a little bit more high-maintenance than any of the other girls. It’s what had drawn me to her. And then seeing those glimpses of vulnerability, that’s what had made me stay. It was addicting feeling like you were the only one who got to see the nice side of the mean girl.



I should walk into the restaurant. I should pick up my to-go order and drive back to my apartment where I’ll eat a quick lunch and change and go to the practice facility.



But a flash of Annabelle in the bar the other night dances through my head. And her callous words just now piss me off even more.



She always did have the perfect way of getting under my skin and driving me wild. When I’m around her, I forget who I am. I turn into some raging bull, with a fuse shorter than the bombs Itchy and Scratchy use on each other.



The stupidest thing I could do right now? Stomp after her, yelling, in the middle of a crowded downtown street.



So that’s exactly what I do.



“You really haven’t changed a bit!” Oh, fuck. What am I doing?



Annabelle rolls around, her eyes sparking with rage. “Nope, still the same cold, heartless bitch you dumped.”



“Yeah, like I said, I can see that.” Lord, my mama would be so disappointed in me agreeing with a woman that she was a bitch.



“Well, no one said you had to be around it. You’re the one who moved to my city. You’re welcome to leave.” She waves around like I should just get out of here.



I fist my hands in my hair. Christ, she’s so aggravating. “No can do, I’m getting paid to be here.”



She rolls her eyes. “Like I’m not? Have you watched TV lately? Or did you take one too many fly balls to the head? I know there weren’t a lot of brain cells in there to start.”



Fuck her. Now it’s time to really piss her off, get under her skin like she’s under mine. “Oh, you mean that show you play house on or whatever? They’ll get bored of you when the next eye-candy pageant queen comes along.”



I swear Annabelle could spit nails at me if she willed it right now. “You’re an asshole, Boone Graham. You’ve only ever cared about yourself and where you want to be. It was silly of me to think you’d ever think of someone but yourself.”



I drop the anvil. “Says the girl who cheated on me. Who lost her virginity to another guy.”



People around us are starting to stare, to really look at the two people arguing openly on the street. It’s not a good idea for me to stick around any longer; people know who I am on a national level and being seen fighting with a girl, who someone will inevitably social media stalk and find out is my ex, is not good publicity.



Except I can’t stop staring into Annabelle’s eyes. They are furious, yes, but there is something more there. I’ve really … hurt her. I’m shocked, to be honest. I didn’t think I could remotely hurt this girl, who self-identifies as a cold, heartless bitch.



But there it is. The raw flash, miss-it-if-you-blink second of real pain that flickers through those mocha pools. I open my mouth to say something, to take it back, maybe apologize, but she speaks first.



“You have no idea.”



Her tone pulls at my heartstrings, it’s low and somber. And then she melts into the crowd, giving no explanation of what I have no idea about.





-------------------------


AUTHOR INFORMATION:



Author of romance novels such as Red Card and Privileged, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the stories she dreams up, and the yoga pant dress code, much better.

When she isn't writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She lives in the suburbs of New Jersey with her husband, daughter and dog.




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