"This book had me hooked at the first sentence. I have never read a plot quite like this one with so many unique twists and turns. I even shed a few tears for what this powerhouse of a female lead went through. Great read!"
~Audrey Carlan, #1 NYT Bestselling Author

All the Ugly Things, an all-new beautiful and emotional romance in the Love & Lies duet from Stacey Lynn is available now!

                         

One night changed everything.
In a single breath my entire future was ripped away.

Now I’m left simply trying to pick up the pieces.
Endless nights waiting tables in hopes of keeping a single piece of the dream I left behind.

He came for pie with dark eyes and a cocky smile.
But those eyes saw more than they should.
Past my walls to all those secrets I’d long buried.

That should’ve been my first warning.
I should’ve said no when he offered me a job too good to be true.
But I said yes.

Slowly friendship sparked to something more.
Stolen moments became an obsession neither of us could kick.

Hudson gave me more than I’d ever dreamed.
So much of what I had lost.
A home. A family.

I should’ve known it was all a beautiful lie.
I should’ve known he’d only leave me with all the ugly things...

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From the moment I saw this duet, I knew I needed to read it. The blurb hooks you in immediately and you get the sense that this is going to be one of those stories where your intriguement is going to be fulfilled because there is going to be more to the story than you originally thought.

For the past six years, Lily’s home has been in a correctional facility. Now being released on parole, getting a new start is the only thing that is on her mind and she intends to see it through. Going back to school, having a job and keeping her head down has been working and for a woman like Lily who’s been through a lot, simplicity is paradise. But her normal life is about to be shaken up a bit when she receives a too good to be true offer.

I have to say that I really loved the fact that we felt what the heroine was going through. I took a liking to her immediately and her struggles and triumphs were portrayed in such a way that you were left with no choice but to feel everything. The only thing that I wished would have been done was a more surprising cliffhanger. I saw that coming from a mile away so the element of surprise was not there for me.

With that being said, this duet is still off to a great start and I can't wait to see what this author has in store for Lily and Hudson’s journey.

                                                                   Excerpt

She worked in a shithole diner and probably lived in a shithole place when she was the daughter of a state judge, probably grew up in private schools with a Mercedes gifted to her on her sixteenth birthday and more money than my own parents had. This shouldn’t be her life.
She’s better than this. Better than her circumstance and I believe her. She just needs someone to help.
The memory of Melissa’s pleading eyes made me squeeze my own eyes shut. “Fucking bleeding heart.”
Since she could walk, she had a calling to save everything from kittens and frogs and turtles in the road to classmates and children where she worked.
One last request. Promise me.
I’d wanted to throttle her slim, pale throat.
I gripped the door handle and scowled at the silver-plated handle, before I threw it open.
“Happy now?” I asked, and somehow, I knew she was.
Lilly was still in the back when I entered. Where Dad said she always stood, there was an old laptop with notebooks spread open. I took the seat at the far end and waited, snagging a menu from the counter on my way.
The food was cheap, basic diner food, perfect for the clientele a place like this brought in. Greasy, thick burgers, patty melts, and Reubens. Sandwiches and burgers and two salad options.
It was late enough none of it appealed to me. Probably why my dad came for the pies.
Fortunately for me, he’d said they were the best he’d ever tasted, and I’d inherited his sweet tooth.
The creak of old, squeaky door hinges rang out and I lifted my head.
Lilly came out carrying a tray stacked with food, focused on the four-top. I didn’t move for fear of distracting her. Not a great first impression to make if she ended up covered in grease and condiments.
The guys at the table did more shoulder-slapping, whooping and hollering like they were watching the Super Bowl and not their food being delivered. I kept my eyes on them, waiting for one to give me a reason to put an end to all of them. The dark-haired guy would be first. He sat at the outer edge of the booth and as Lilly leaned forward to deliver a tray to the guy next to him, his hand hovered inches from her backside.
The blond across the table egged him on with a nod but she stood back, put space between them, and barked, “Even think of touching me and none of you are leaving with your dicks still attached to your body.”
“Oohh. I’ll show you mine happily,” one said, hands dropping to his lap.
She glared at him, resting bitch face I was certain she learned in prison firmly in place. It didn’t look right on her. Too hard. Too forced.
What would she have been like as a smiling, happy teenager before life was stolen from her?
Damn it. I felt it then. That pull my dad had when he first saw her.
She’d lost too much.

                                                            Meet Stacey Lynn:

                                                   

Stacey Lynn likes her coffee with a dash of sugar, her heroes with a side of bossy, and her wine a deep shade of red.

The author of over thirty romance novels, many of which have been best-selling titles on Amazon, AppleBooks, and Barnes & Noble, she loves being able to turn her vivid imagination into a career that brings entertainment and joy to her readers. Focused on sports romance and emotional, small-town romance, she also loves stretching herself in different genres.

Born in Texas and raised in the Midwest, she now makes her home in North Carolina and loves all things Southern. Together with her ultimate tall, dark, and handsome hero, she has four children. Her life is a chaotic mess that fights with her Type-A, list-making, neurotically organized preferences and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

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🌹  ℍ𝕠𝕥 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℝ𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖 🌹

𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗥𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘!! 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲?!

#𝗢𝗻𝗲-𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!

 

The Truth Pact by C.M. Albert is now live!




They say the truth shall set you free.
They never tell you the cost.

Ryan Wells
Olivia North was everything I always wanted. From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew nothing would stop me from having her. Not even being her professor. In the end, I got her. Got the white picket fence and historic home, too. But nothing could replace the babies we lost before they were ever born, or the sleepless nights that followed.

We made a pact once, in those early days of grief. We would always put each other first and be honest about everything. Because the only way through our mourning would be together. Until it wasn't. When our last baby was stillborn, I was afraid I'd lose Olivia forever. The vibrant woman I'd married was slipping away under the weight of her unbearable pain. So, when Brighton Kerrington moves in next door to renovate his uncle's property, and I see light return to those haunted blue eyes, what do I do? The one thing that could cost me my entire world.

I'd do anything to see Liv happy again--even if it means ripping my own heart in two to sew hers back together again. But when pleasure replaces pain, the truth exposes more than we bargained for. What was meant to bind us together in love might be the very thing that tears us apart.



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The Truth Pact is the first book in the Truth About Love Duet.

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I said this book was going to hurt and you know what? I was right!!! My heart is obliterated right now. There's a pain in my chest that feels like it won't ever go away and I'm feeling all of these emotions at a high warped speed right now. This pain, this dread, this anger, this loss, the what if’s and the why’s are just circling around in my head right now and I have no clue what to do with that.



Ryan and Olivia Wells have the kind of love and marriage that most people would dream about having. They honor and respect their vows, they have this all consuming love and the one thing that they pride themselves on when it comes to their relationship, is always telling each other the truth whether it’s good or bad. Having gone through a few tragedies that not only tested their marriage but has broken their hearts as well, Ryan and Olivia are desperately trying to get back to a place of happiness. But sometimes happiness comes at a price and for this couple, they’re about to find out just how much.



I can't even articulate just how much this book made me feel and quite frankly, I was a hot mess. One minute I was loving everything and falling for these characters so hard and the next, I was literally begging someone to put me out of this emotional misery!! Certain things were too much for me and I felt like I was on this rollercoaster ride that couldn't stop. This love story hurt, their healing process nearly killed me, but the unconditional love and devotion that these two had for each other, is what kept me rooting for them.


This is NOT your ordinary emotional love story and you have to go in knowing that otherwise your heart will take a serious beating. This author delves into the depths of loss and grief in such a way that you have no other choice but to feel it and we saw how each character felt. You will feel helpless at times, angry, saddened, have tears of joy and feel betrayal all in the space of a few hours.

As much as I really loved this book and believe me I don't say that often, my heart is dreading to read the next one. I’m scared shitless of what’s going to happen in book two and I don't think my heart can take it!!

Warning: this book contain triggers and may not be suitable for everyone.




Meet C.M. Albert



USA Today bestselling author C.M. Albert writes heartwarming romances that are "sexy and flirty, sweet and dirty!" Her writing infuses a healthy blend of humor, high-heat romance, and most of all--hope. When not writing, or kid-wrangling with her handsome hubby, she's either meditating, kayaking, reading, hugging a tree, or asleep. But first, coffee. #TonyStarkForever 
 
Connect with C.M.
Website | https://colleenalbert.com/
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I’d Go Anywhere For Her…

The Freshman, a must read new-adult standalone in The Kingmakers Series from Sophie Lark, is available now!

Even to Kingmakers, the most brutal school in the world. Where mafia children are trained to control, dominate, infiltrate, and kill.

I followed Anna because she’s my best friend. I’ve always been right by her side.

She needs me to protect her. Especially from Dean Yenin, a Bratva heir with a lethal grudge.

He plans to take everything from me. Starting with Anna...

Future heirs, accountants, enforcers, and spies from all of the criminal organizations around the world train at Kingmakers Academy for three years with the understanding that they aren't to fight, maim, or kill anyone from rival organizations while in attendance. Anyone that breaks the rules will be punished accordingly. The punishment is an eye for an eye in all matters, including everything from a punch in the face to cold-blooded murder. 

This story is told from the POVs of three heirs, Leo, Anna, and Dean. Leo and Anna grew up together and were raised as cousins. They've been best friends their whole lives, but they're starting to have feelings for one another that "cousins" are not supposed to have. Dean grew up an only child to two toxic parents, one of which seems to have abandoned him. He's an actual biological cousin of Leo. 

The Freshman is my first read from Sophie Lark, and I can tell I've been missing out! Her writing is AMAZING! It has an almost cinematic quality to it that drew me in immediately. The way every detail is described in such a rich and effortless manner made me feel like I was experiencing everything as if I was actually there! 

The addition of the song links in the book made it feel even more like a movie to me. Listening to the songs as I read the scenes that followed added something special to every single one. I hope the author continues to do this for all of the books in the series! 

The Freshman is more than just a romance between two people. It's the set up for an entire series. We're given insight into a character that will be explored further in the future and an introduction to other characters that will have their stories told in subsequent books as well. Though it took up a good portion of this installment, I sincerely enjoyed the time spent on world building and character introductions. It's completely necessary for the books to come, and it's so well done that I didn't mind at all. 

The day to day life at the academy is interesting too, and the competitions are a lot of fun to read about. I love all the blossoming friendships, and I'm already invested in every character's story. It looks like we're only getting three more books, so I'm biting my nails wondering who's going to be left out. 

The romance in this one is an angsty slow burn, and while I wish we could have gotten more of the couple once they got together, I'm sure we'll be seeing them a lot more throughout the rest of the series. They are each other's perfect match, and I adore their relationship. I'm so glad everything ended up the way it did.

I've been purposely vague about the main couple and held back on talking too much about the individual characters themselves, because I don't want to spoil anything for you. There are three POVs here, and only two people in a couple. Two of the characters end up in a relationship and one ends up needing redemption. I'll let you figure out who is who for yourselves. It's just more fun that way. 

I will say that someone I thought I was going to love turned out to be a person I wanted to strangle and hang off the edge of a cliff where I may or may not have let them fall to their untimely death. Harsh? Maybe, but I'm nothing if not honest. I can't wait to see how the author is going to change my mind and make me love them again! I'm honestly wondering if she's just going to let him be a straight up villain. I could be down for that, too. Even villains need love, right? 

If you're like me, and you haven't read the parent series, don't worry! I somehow missed that this was a spinoff series, and I never felt lost or like I was missing out on anything. The author has a way of including the relevant bits from previous stories in a way that gives you all the information you need and at the same time, makes you interested in finding out more. 

New adult and mafia romance fans, this one's for you!

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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Excerpt

I assume there’s going to be a whole lot of jockeying for position in the first few weeks at Kingmakers. Every kid here thinks they’re the alpha — and they probably were, wherever they came from. But we can’t all be alphas at the school. There’s going to be a new hierarchy. I intend to be at the top, like always.

Bram probably thinks the same thing. He narrows his eyes at me, tossing back his longish hair and muttering something to his friends. The other Penose give me venomous looks.

Bram’s the next shooter. He rolls the point number three times before hitting a seven, ending the round. He scoops up his winnings, grinning.

“Hey Dmitry,” he calls. “Why don’t you come join?”

He’s calling to a tall blond boy who’s standing at the railing looking down at the water. The boy took his shirt off because of the heat. A Siberian tiger is tattooed to the right of his spine, done in the classic style as if it were crawling up his back. Because the boy is so pale, the tiger looks snow white with black stripes.

Dmitry turns around slowly, facing our group.

He looks right at me, and seems to recognize me immediately.

I get a similar jolt.

He’s strangely familiar, even though I know we’ve never met.

His eyes narrow, his jaw tightens, and his lip curls up in a sneer.

“No thanks,” he says, coldly. “I don’t like the company.”

“What?” Bram says, glancing back and forth between us. “The Amerikanets?”

“What’s wrong with Americans?” I say. I keep my voice level, but I’m looking the blond boy right in the eye. 

Bram and I sized each other up last night, and it was clear that we both thought we were hot shit. Who’s shit is hotter remains to be determined. With Dmitry it’s something else. He doesn’t view me as a rival. He’s looking at me like an enemy.

“It’s not Americans,” he says to me. “It’s you.”

His voice drips with disdain.

Something in his tone, coupled with his coloring and the familiarity of his features makes it all click at once.

I’m talking to my cousin. He’s calling himself Dmitry, but this is Dean Yenin, I’m sure of it.

Not that Dean considers us family.

His father and my mother are twins. They were best friends growing up. Until my mom chose my dad over her own family.

Dean’s grandfather tried to kill everyone I know and love at my parents’ wedding: my uncle Nero, my aunt Camille, Uncle Dante, my godmother Greta, even my father. He succeeded in murdering my grandpa Enzo, so that I’ve only ever known him from a portrait that hangs in my father’s office.

And in return, my father reigned down bloody retribution on Dean’s family. Dean’s grandfather is dead, strangled to death by my dad. And his father Adrian is burned up worse than Vader from what I’ve heard.

So we are enemies, maybe more than anyone else on this boat.

I knew that Dean was coming to Kingmakers.

I knew this was coming.

But it’s something different to meet him face-to-face, after never even having seen a photo of him.

He’s the main reason my mother didn’t want me coming here. She’s tried to reach out to her brother over the years — tried to repair their relationship so they could at least have a measure of forgiveness, even if they could never be close again.

He never responded to her, not a single word.

It’s clear from the expression on Dean’s face that my mom was right. The Yenins weren’t just avoiding us. They fucking hate us still.

“Is that any way to talk to your cousin?” I say to Dean.

I won’t give him the satisfaction of glaring back at him. Instead I paste a grin on my face, like I don’t take him seriously. I know that’s the best way to really piss him off.

Sure enough, he takes another couple steps toward me, closing the space between us. Instinctively, everyone else steps back. They all know the feeling of a fight about to happen. That anticipation in the air, the electricity between two people itching to do each other harm.

“Don’t call me that,” Dean says.

It’s funny how even the simplest words can cut if they’re said sharply enough.

Dean hasn’t raised his voice, but he makes it perfectly clear that he isn’t fucking around. His fists tighten at his sides, and his shoulders swell as his body shifts into a more aggressive stance. He’s got the look of a fighter, as if he’s most natural in that position. If I were anybody else, I’d probably take a step back, cringing like a little bitch.

But I’m not somebody else. 

I’m me. And I don’t back away from anybody.

“Don’t call you what?” I say. “Cuz?”

 Dean takes another step forward until we’re within arm’s reach of each other. I’m taller than him by two inches, but he’s got a decent amount of muscle packed on his frame, and he looks fast too. I’m watching him carefully, though I don’t let it show. I stand there as relaxed and casual as ever.

“We’re not family,” Dean hisses. “Because your whore of a mother betrayed her family. She’s not a Yenin anymore. She’s just a piece of treacherous trash.”

I want to hit him so bad my fists are throbbing. I can’t let that go unanswered.

“The Yenins broke a blood oath,” I spit back at him. “I don’t know how the fuck you’re even here. You should be excommunicated. Whose cock did your father have to suck to get you back in?”

We rush each other at the same moment. I throw the first punch, right at his stupid fucking face. But to my surprise, he slips the hit so my fist barely glances off his jaw. I’ve never missed like that before.

At the same time, he hits me with a left hook that fucking rocks me. Dean may not be quite as big as me, but he’s fast as fuck and strong, too. My head is ringing, and my hangover headache comes roaring back.

I swing back at him, and this time he can’t quite duck it — at 6’5 I’ve got a fuck of a longer reach than he’s used to. I pop him in the cheek, raising an instant red welt under his eye.

In retaliation he slugs me back in the gut, and that fucking hurts too. Jesus he’s got a sledgehammer for an arm.

The howls of Bram and the other students draw the attention of the sailors. Two of the deckhands tear us apart before we can finish the fight. They’re big, burly men, and they fling us down on the deck shouting for us to knock it off.

The bigger of the two, a man with a glass eye and two sensuously entwined mermaids on his forearm, points a sausage-like finger at me and growls, “Raise your fists again and I’ll chuck you in the fuckin’ ocean. No fighting on board.”

He stands there, arms crossed over his broad chest, watching us both until Dean picks himself up off the deck and resumes his sullen position at the railing, and I head back toward the bow.

I climb up in the net once more, making Ares stir and mumble in the midst of his nap, and Anna glances up from her book.

“What the hell?” she says. “What happened to you?”

She’s staring at my face.

I swipe my hand under my nose, seeing blood smear across my knuckles.

“Little family reunion,” I say.

“Dean?” Anna asks, eyes wide.

“Who else.”

“Why’d you have to go and fight him?” Anna says.

“He started it. I was willing to be friendly.”

“For how long, two seconds?” Anna frowns.

“He called my mom a traitor!”

“Of course he did! You know what he’s probably been told. Did you even try to talk to him?”

“It’s not my job to talk to him!” I scoff. “His family are the fucking traitors, and if he says another word about my mom, I’ll break his jaw for him.”

“You’d better not,” Anna says, darkly. “You know the rules—“

“He’s the one—“

“They won’t care!” Anna cuts across me. “This is exactly what Aunt Yelena was worried about—“

“Oh, get off it,” I grumble at Anna. “I heard enough of that before I left.”

I hate when Anna acts like she’s on my parents’ side about me not going to Kingmakers. She should be happy that I came here with her, instead of taking my full-ride to the University of Kentucky. Does she want to be here alone? I thought she’d be thrilled that we’re both experiencing this together.

The thought of going to some school without her, any school, makes me sick to my stomach. She’s my best friend. We’ve always done everything together. 

           

About Sophie           

Sophie Lark is an Amazon Bestselling author who writes intense, intelligent romance, with heroines who are strong and capable, and men who will do anything to capture their hearts. She lives with her husband, two boys, and baby girl in the Rocky Mountain West.

She has a slight obsession with hiking, bodybuilding, and live comedy shows. Her perfect day would be taking the kids to Harry Potter World, going dancing with Mr. Lark, then relaxing with a good book and a monster bag of salt and vinegar chips.

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