Title: The Truth About Heartbreak
Author: B. Celeste
Genre: Forbidden Romance
Release Date: June 1, 2019
Blurb
I fell in love with him when I was thirteen years old.
He was older, mysterious, and unattainable. The guy I could never touch.
Then one night changed everything for us. But there was one huge problem.
He belonged to her.
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“River James will always be mine. Even if she doesn’t want to be. Even is she can’t be.”
The Truth about Heartbreak tells the tumultuous love story about two people who had a lot stacked against them. This was about broken characters that gave us heartbreak and during their darkest moments, they found strength within each other and not only learned how to heal, but they found the greatest gift of all: Unconditional Love.
There’s this Universal saying that someone has been through hell and back and those words have never been more true for River James. Growing up in the foster care system, this girl has seen it all and been through it all. Now given a chance at a new life with her own forever home, River finally has the one thing that she’s always wanted. A loving family. Despite her new surroundings, there’s one thing in the back of her mind: some scars, don’t always heal but new friendships can help.
Everett Tucker has been through his fair of tragedy in his lifetime but if there’s one thing that he’s not lacking is love and support from his best friend’s family who’ve become like second parents to him. With the new addition to the James household, Everett immediately feels a bond with the shy and timid girl. As the years go by, their friendship starts to turn into something more with unspoken words and forbidden wants. Will they cross the line and burn everything in their wake or will this be the road to their very complicated love story?
The truth about Heartbreak is that there is no such thing. It’s your soul that shatters, along with every fiber of your being that screams for another person”.
From the moment I read the synopsis for this book, I knew that I had to have it. Forbidden romance is my weakness and even though I was expecting a little bit more on the forbidden side, I still liked the premise of the story and I loved the past scenes. Those were my absolute favorite and the author did an amazing job with capturing their youth and showing their ultimate growth.
Now I’ll admit that I had to really restrain myself from not throwing my tablet because a certain character had me plotting out A lot of alibis and I wanted to shake them!! I kept asking myself, how are you not in fictional jail yet?!! They tested me on another level but I will say that they redeemed themselves a bit and I was thankful for that because I was out of bail money.
Aside from that, I really enjoyed this one and knowing that this is the author’s debut book, I really cannot wait to see what she’s going to come up with next. Her characters are complex, witty, passionate and down right entertaining. If your looking for a friends to lovers romance with a forbidden feel, then you should really give this one a try.
Excerpt
PROLOGUE
River /
Present / 23
The velvet
caress of silk sheets against my bare skin leaves me hyperaware of what I’ve
done. Early morning sunlight slips through the cracked blinds and kisses my exposed
back, coating the room in soft pinks and yellows.
Steady,
rhythmic breathing sounds from behind me. In, out. In, out. It’s a melody that
makes my muscles lock, too afraid to reacquaint my eyes with every dip and
curve of chiseled muscle displayed inches away.
His natural
musky scent wraps around me, overwhelming my senses until my heart thumps
wildly in my chest. It doesn’t take away the memories of lingering touches,
gentle kisses, and an overpowering sense of belonging. And less than twelve
hours ago, I belonged to Everett Tucker in ways I never thought possible in the
ten years of knowing him.
His touches
scorched me.
His kisses
burned me.
And his
body…
The
mattress dips with the shift of his weight. I hold my breath, waiting to see if
he’s awake. When his soft snores echo in the half-empty room, I release the
breath and white knuckle the sheets against my breasts. Carefully, I sit up and
squeeze my eyes closed like it’ll soften the blow of reality.
I wait for
the pounding headache or quake of unavoidable nausea to punish me, but my
conscience reminds me of what I already know. I wasn’t drunk last night. What
I’ve done can’t be blamed on alcohol.
My hand
drags across my bare neck until my heart thunders in pure panic over my missing
possession. I swallow my anxiety when I catch the silver chain resting on the
night stand and remember the very moment he took it off me.
Nothing but
skin. That’s what he said he wanted between us. I’ve only taken this necklace
off to shower and sleep. It goes everywhere with me, the silver paint palette
and brush charms sweeping over my heartbeat as a reminder that he cares. But in
the moment I had him as more than a wish, a hope, a dream, he didn’t want it
lingering.
Nothing but
skin.
My
fingertips touch the newest charm, a cracked heart, and I suck in a short
breath when the contact shocks me. Clenching the sheets tighter to me, I turn
slightly to peek through my peripheral and see a tussle of dirty blond hair
against my starch white pillow case.
Look, my
conscience taunts. Look at him.
Slivers of
tan skin make their way into my sight as I shift, my gaze drifting up the
mountain of hard muscles that form his toned biceps as they wrap around a
pillow. Worrying my bottom lip, my heart summersaults in my chest when the curve
of his square jaw comes into view. The sharp line of it is coated with early
morning shadow that he’ll shave despite preferring a thin layer of stubble.
He looks
peaceful when he’s sleeping; the hard edge he normally radiates eased to a
laxed slumber. From this angle, I can see the faded white scar that stretches
from the bottom of his left ear along the curve of his throat, landing just
above his pulse. You wouldn’t know it’s there unless you know the story, and he
doesn’t tell just anybody.
But I’m not
just anybody.
Especially
not now.
My throat
tightens from the emotions lodging in the back of it as I scope out his
sculpted body. He works hard for every muscle, spends countless hours in the
gym or training at the fire department, and it shows. The man sleeping beside
me has been a figment of my imagination that I’ve conjured thousands of times,
but his body is a masterpiece I never could have perfected unless I saw it in
person.
I absorb
the memory of his body spread on my mattress, bare to me. Every vulnerability
laying in a mess of sheets, open to pull apart and dissect and regret when the
sun fully rises.
Less than
twelve hours ago I belonged to the minty eyed boy I’ve loved since I was
thirteen. But Everett Tucker isn’t mine to love.
He stirs when
I rise from bed.
“Everett,”
I whisper brokenly, my heart shattering inside my chest. I can feel the pieces
splintering apart as I choke out my final words. “We made a mistake.”
Author Bio
B. Celeste
is the alter ego of Barbara C. Doyle.
Her obsession
with forbidden romance enabled her to pave a path into a new world of love,
sex, sin, and angst.
Her debut
novel is The Truth about Heartbreak.
Author Links
Title: Boys That Tease
Series: Lords of Wildwood #1
Author: Betti Rosewood
Genre: New Adult/Steamy Romance
Release Date: June 3, 2019
Blurb
We’re young. Privileged. Dirty. And we ruin lives for fun.
She knew being the new girl at Wildwood would never be easy,
considering who she is. But nobody warned Tinsley Sullivan we'd be doing
everything in our power to make her high school experience one of the most
horrible times of her life.
They say my name like I'm their king. Crispin Dalton. Teachers and students worship the ground I walk on.
They all follow my lead... Except for her.
I didn't think she'd have it in her to fight back. It's kind
of adorable that she won't budge, refusing to break for me, to submit to my
cruel desires. Except I'll never stop pushing for more. I'm ready to make her
life so miserable, she'll be begging me to stop hurting her.
There's just one thing that's messing it all up.
Tinsley is off-f*cking-limits.
And I need to keep that in mind when I kiss my girlfriend...
her best friend.
Lies. Lies. Lies.
Hell hath no fury like a man who has no fucks to give and a mission to fulfill his promise.
I’m hungry.
My greed is insatiable.
I’m a slave to the need. The drive for more. For everything.
Once I decide I want something, the greed for it consumes me.
I want answers.
I want justice.
I want vengeance.
I want HER.
My best friend and his sister—the girl I vowed could trust in me and whom I would always protect—dropped off the map two years ago. My own father pledged assurances that they'd been living a life they deserved.
Lies. Lies. Lies.
Hell hath no fury like a man who has no fucks to give and a mission to fulfill his promise.
I may be a greedy sonofabitch, but I’m also a loyal one. Cross me or my brothers, and I’ll come for your throat. And my teeth are razor sharp.
When I discover the corruption running deep within my own bloodline, I take a stand to right the wrongs. I had no idea their darkness would lead me to the light—to her.
The Lust I have for her will keep me grounded.
The Wrath for those who betrayed us will ignite the fight inside me.
And the Greed for victory will consume our enemies in a tidal wave of Hell’s fury.
They say the three gates of Hell are Lust, Wrath, and Greed.
Well, open up, motherfuckers…Daddy’s home.
I am Micah Dixon.
I am Greed.
Written With Regret, the first in an all-new emotional duet from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez, is available now!
Every little girl dreams of the fairytale. The one where the white knight rushes in to save her from the clutches of evil. They fall in love, have babies, and live happily ever after.
By that definition, my life should have been a fairytale too.
When I was eight years old, Caven Hunt saved me from the worst kind of evil to walk the Earth. It didn’t matter that I was a kid. I fell in love with him all the same.
But that was where my fairytale ended.
Years later, a one-night stand during the darkest time imaginable gave us a little girl. It was nothing compared to the pitch black that consumed me when I was forced to leave her with Caven for good.
At the end of every fairytale, the happily-ever-after is the one thing that remains consistent. It wasn’t going to be mine, but there hadn’t been a night that passed where I hadn’t prayed that it would be hers.
I owed Caven my life.
However, I owed that innocent child more.
And that included ripping the heart from my chest and facing her father again.
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"Not everything was black and white. It was often in the gray areas where the hardest decisions were made".
I think that I’ve seriously underestimated this author. Her words have definitely been something that I’ve always looked forward to reading but her storytelling is what captures you. As the seconds tick by, you quickly realize that you’re no longer in your world, but her characters world and let me tell you, you will do ANYTHING to stay there.
I’m going to be real right now and say that I had no intention of finishing this book so quickly. My plan was to read the prologue and maybe even the first chapter so I could get the feel of the story and then later on when my house would be quiet, I would start. Let me tell you something. That did NOT happen!! I ignored everyone and everything and dove heart first into this book because after reading that prologue, how could I not?!! It was heartbreaking, gasp worthy and so powerful. If a prologue can make you feel all of these things, what is the rest of the story going to be like?
This story was more than I had ever set out for and I loved that. The element of surprise, the mystery, unconditional love, that unforgettable passion is what kept me on my toes with this book and reading at warped speed while trying so hard to savor every moment. I did have an issue with a certain character and their actions did put my blood pressure at a dangerous level but aside from that hiccup, I really enjoyed this one. Caven was the type of hero that you would want to have in real life and there is nothing that man wouldn’t do for his loved ones.
Now lets talk about cliffhangers because even though I’m not a fan, I’ve learned to accept them for what they are: mindf*ck tortures. But this cliffhanger right here? Have no damn business being in my head! What are we supposed to do with that? I did not and I repeat DID NOT see that coming at all!! You have no idea the amount of f bombs I dropped when I read that final scene because if you did, you would be googling some colorful stuff right now.
I know for a fact that this duet is not one to be missed and there is really no need for me to tell you to read this book. You need to read this right now!! Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2019 so far!!
Excerpt:
Life had never been easy for me. Chaos had been following me like a dark cloud, looming and hovering, casting its shadow far and wide despite how bright the path in front of me should have appeared. After growing up the way I had, where happiness had been more of a privilege than a choice, I knew better than to believe that that moment would be anything other than fleeting.
And one second later, the universe proved me right.
I opened the door to see who had rung the bell—a cursory check revealed an empty hallway.
And that’s when I heard it: the sound that changed not only my entire life in the present, but my life for all future days to come.
At first, it was just a grunt, but as if that baby could feel my gaze, the minute my eyes made contact, it let out a sharp cry.
Confusion hit me like a lightning bolt, sending me back a step. I used the door frame for balance as I took in the yellow blanket with a hole only big enough to reveal a pale-pink face.
“What the fuck?” I breathed. Glancing around the hall, I waited for someone to jump out and start laughing. When no one spoke up to issue a punchline, I took a step closer and repeated, “What the fuck?”
I was utterly unable to process the absurdity in front of me.
Of course, I knew the facts.
It was a baby.
On my doorstep.
Alone.
But the why in that equation was glaringly absent.
“Uhhh,” Ian drawled, peering over my shoulder. “Why is there a kid at your door?”
“I have no idea,” I replied, staring down at the squirming and now-screaming bundle. “It was just there when I opened the door.”
Ian shoved me to the side so he could stand beside me. “You’re shitting me, right?”
“Does it look like I’m shitting you?”
He looked from me to the baby, then back again. “How did it get there?”
We were two incredibly smart men who had created a technology empire out of nothing. But, clearly, a baby was too big for either of us to wrap our minds around.
I swept an arm out and pointed to the kid. “I have no clue, but I’m assuming it didn’t catch a cab.”
A light of understanding hit his eyes. He moved first, stepping over the crying baby and hurrying down the hall, searching around the corner near the elevator before returning alone.
The party continued behind me, but even with the door open, the loud chatter was no match for the ear-piecing cries happening in that hallway.
Veronica suddenly appeared beside me, her body going solid as she stammered out. “Is that…a baby?”
“Back up,” I urged, throwing my arm out to block her path as though the infant were going to suddenly morph into a rabid animal. And let’s be honest, I knew nothing about babies. Anything was possible.
Ian dropped to his knees, scooping up the wailing child. Meanwhile, I stood there like a gawking idiot, paralyzed by a weight I didn’t yet understand.
“Call the pol—” He stopped abruptly and reached into the top of the child’s blanket. “Oh shit,” he whispered, his wide, panic-filled eyes flashing to mine.
“What?” I asked, stepping toward him to get a better look at the kid. Only it wasn’t that tiny baby cradled in his arms that made my heart stop and bile rise in my throat.
There, in my best friend’s hand, was a folded piece of notebook paper that had been tucked into the child’s blanket. From the looks of it, the paper was unremarkable in every sense of the word. Blue lines, white spaces, hanging remnants from where it had been haphazardly ripped from a spiral bound notebook. Even the crease was crooked. But it was my name scrawled on the outside in messy, black ink that made it the most remarkable paper in existence.
I snatched it from his hand and, with blood roaring in my ears, opened it.
Caven,
I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen. This is our daughter Keira. I’ll love her forever. Take care of her the way I can’t.
Written with regret,
Hadley
The hall began to spin, my head feeling like every ounce of blood had been drained from my body. The thundering in my ears faded and the loud chatter of my guests, who were suddenly aware that something was happening at the door, roared to life.
And then the chaos finally found me all over again—the past playing out in my head like my life flashing before my eyes.
I sucked in a deep breath and looked at the baby in his arms. The blanket had fallen off its head just enough to reveal a patch of fine hairs, more orange than its mother’s red.
“Call the police,” I declared, turning on a toe and walking back into my apartment, leaving Ian standing in the hall with Hadley’s child.
Shoving through the crowd of concerned onlookers, I headed straight to the bottles of liquor lining the counter. I didn’t bother with ice or even a glass. I threw back that bottle of vodka, hoping like hell the burn of the alcohol could numb the panic coursing through my veins.
Through it all, that baby never stopped crying.
Pre-order the stunning conclusion, Written With You, today!
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About Aly
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children.
Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and olives. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.
She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.
Connect with Aly
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlyMartinezAuth
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The Moth and the Flame by B.B. Reid
Release Date: May 20, 2019
The Moth and the Flame, the second romantic standalone in the When Rivals Play series by B.B. Reid.
THE FLAME
Here lies Louchana Valentine. She was a homeless, orphaned virgin.
I never cared what my gravestone would say until I landed in deep with a powerful gangster. Lucky for me, my best friend happens to be ruthless too. I should feel guilty that he’s forced to turn on the man who’s been a father to him. Except I’ve always known that Wren’s soul wasn’t as black as he claimed.
He was good.
He was beautiful.
He was mine.
He just didn’t know it yet.
And with Wren keeping me safe, I’ve got time left to rewrite the end of my story. But if he has his way, virgin is already carved in stone.
THE MOTH
I’ve never known anyone as alluring as Lou. Or as frustrating. Since the night she saved my life and stole my wallet for her troubles, I couldn’t stay away.
She became my onus.
My light.
My…anyway.
With nowhere to run, I’m forced to trust someone I never expected. At least with Lou safe in Blackwood Keep—far away from me—I’ll die with my conscience intact. Because she no longer looks at me with friendship in her eyes. Those iridescent blues shine with a different need entirely, and I’ve never been able to deny her.
It is strongly advised that you read The Peer and the Puppet before diving into The Moth and the Flame. Content suitable for ages 18+.
The Assistant by Marni Mann
Release Date: May 21, 2019
The Assistant, a haunting new romantic thriller from USA Today bestselling author Marni Mann.
At forty-two, I’m married to my best friend, and we have two beautiful children.
Everything about my life is perfect until my father gets sick.
Before: I owned and operated a massively successful women’s shapewear company.
After: I stay home with my family because I’ve learned the importance of time.
Before: My husband could rely on me to take care of everything.
After: I hire him the perfect assistant.
My entire life can be summed up in before and afters, but something happens in the middle.
A meeting.
And it changes the course of everyone’s lives forever.
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There’s a reason why Marni Mann is hands down one of my authors. Her ability to make you feel so many different emotions that you yourself didn’t even know existed and how she’s managed to capture that essence of the one thing that you were craving, is the reason why I will forever be a lifelong fan. Not only does she flip the script and not keep you characterize into one box, she tests your limit without you even knowing what’s happening. Dark romance? She has you covered? Emotional turmoil? She’s your girl. Mind f*ck? Honey she’s the written book and you’re over here still scratching your head trying to figure out HOW.
First let me be honest and say that I’ve read 3 reviews before I started this book and all of them said the exact same thing: Go into this book blindly and avoid any and all spoilers. So with that in mind, I followed that rule to a T and went into the unknown. I had an idea what this book was going to be like and I felt good about it. My confidence quickly took a nose dive when I realized that what I thought, was NOT what this book was going to be about at all. I had no clue what I getting myself into and then 50% in, I started to get antsy and worried…for good reason.
This one took me be surprise for a little bit and I must say that I have mixed feelings about the outcome. A huge part of me can understand why it was done and what would’ve happened if things had gone the other way but there’s still a voice in the back of my head. It’s not roaring loud or arrogant, but it’s there and it’s whispers is the one thing that is getting me right now. Am I happy? Do I want more? Was this the right decision? I think that a part of me will always wonder and I despite that feeling, I really have to applaud this author for doing that.
As I’ve said before, this story needs to be read without any background knowledge or even a hint of the storyline because the characters that are in this book, deserve that. They are meant to be in that protective layer and shielded for a certain amount of time until they decide it’s time to show you what they’re all about. You will love them whole heartedly, feel this sense of pride and love because they let their guard down, but the main thing that will hit you and wreck you the most? Is knowing that you got to witness their ups and downs, the sacrifices, their heartbreak, their love, and their strength.
There is no doubt that this was beautiful story and I always say at the end of my reviews if I recommend the book or not and this will be no different: Read this book!
Excerpt:
I breathed through that thought and filled my nose with his scent. There was a constant rotation of different shampoos and soaps in our shower. No matter what he used or the cologne he added after, Emery always smelled like leaves during a spring rainstorm with a hint of spiciness like the cinnamon and nutmeg I’d shaken onto his coffee.
After several deep inhales, I pulled my mouth away, observing how handsome he looked at his desk. He had on a pair of dark jeans and a plaid button-down with a navy sweater on top. And, even though I couldn’t see them, he had on argyle socks and dark brown leather shoes.
I just knew my husband that well.
Emery began to move his chair, swiveling it around to face me. When he stopped in front of me, I stepped between his legs, setting my coffee on his desk so that both of my hands were free. My palms went to his cheeks. I loved the way his whiskers felt on my skin. He kept his beard longer in the winter and trimmed much shorter in the summer. Winter was my favorite, and he had reminded me of one of the reasons after Alicia’s party when he rubbed it across my entire body.
From the look on his face, I had a feeling he was thinking about the same thing.
“We have the house all to ourselves today,” he said, confirming my suspicion. His hands slowly slid to the back of my thighs. “When was the last time I was able to do this”—he rubbed his nose across my navel, air from his lips bursting through my top—“on a weekday?” He continued to wrap around until his fingers were on my butt. His lips slowly parted, his eyes fiery with seduction. “I’m going to put you on top of those blueprints, and then I’m going to—”
“You have an interview in fifteen minutes.” I put a finger on his lips. “But I want you to remember the thought you just had, and when the interview is over”—I leaned in a little closer—“I want you to put me on top of those blueprints and do to me whatever it was that you had planned.”
He kissed the back of my finger, and it started to tremble.
“You’re turning me on so much; I’m shaking,” I said, pulling my hand away at the same time the doorbell rang. “She’s early. I like that.” I slipped out of his grip and took several steps back. “I’ll go get her, and we’ll meet you in the dining room.”
He nodded, and I walked out of his office, still feeling the tremors as I headed down the rest of the hallway.
About Marni:
Best-selling Author Marni Mann knew she was going to be a writer since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about teenage pop stars, Mann was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts sexy, titillating stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotion. A New Englander at heart, she now lives in Sarasota, Florida with her husband and their two dogs who subsequently have been characters in her books. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling to new locations, and devouring fabulous books.
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