Blurb:
Cecily has always had a huge crush on singer Andrew Holiday and she wants to be an actress, so she tags along when her friend auditions for his new video. However, the director isn’t looking for an actress, but rather the girl next door—and so is Andrew. Cecily gets a part in the video and all of Andrew’s attention on the set. Her friend begins to see red and Cecily’s boyfriend is seeing green—as in major jealousy. A misunderstanding leaves Cecily and her boyfriend on the outs and Andrew hopes to pick up the pieces as he’s looking for someone more stable in his life than the models he’s dated. Soon Cecily begins to realize Andrew understands her more than her small-town boyfriend—but can her perfect love match really be her favorite rock star?
Excerpt:
I started to feel anxious after lunch. After all, I had been an Andrew fan for a long time, and even though I had seen him in person, this was a huge deal to get to meet him. What if he wasn’t what I had imagined? I didn’t expect him to fawn over me or anything, but what if he was rude or ignored me? It would kill my fantasy of him as being this sweet, quiet, sensitive songwriter who wore his heart on his sleeve while also being kind of a loner/rebel with just a touch of bad boy in him. Oh man, I would be crushed if he didn’t notice me or worse—if he ended up flirting with Harlow.
In all his magazine interviews Andrew always said looks weren’t important to him, and what he noticed in a girl was if she was true to herself. He said he went for “bright girls who were sweet and easy to be with.” Now that I thought about it, that was the kind of fake crap magazines put out about all the teen celebrities. It was like when I saw Lawrence Claibourne, my favorite actor who claimed to be Mr. I’m-just-looking-for-a-sweet-girl-to-read-poetry-to on a red carpet with a model whose boobs were falling out of her dress and had overdone the lip fillers—I mean, you just knew he wasn’t into her for her personality.
But Andrew wasn’t like Lawrence. Andrew seemed so sincere and deep. Lawrence had a smirk and you could tell he was a player, but Andrew seemed like he had been hurt and needed to find the right girl who he could open up to and learn to trust again. . . or at least that’s what he said in his last interview.
The final bell rang and my heart shot up to my throat. This was it. I was on my way to meet my crush. From now on, any dreams of him would be marred by the reality I was about to face. Was it better to keep wondering what if and keep the fantasy alive or to go and actually meet him?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Krysten Lindsay Hager writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. She is the author of True Colors, Best Friends…Forever?, Next Door to a Star, Landry in Like, Competing with the Star, Dating the It Guy, and Can Dreams Come True? True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book and the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for childen/teens. Competing with the Star is a Readers’ Favorite Book Award Finalist. Krysten’s work has been featured in USA Today, The Flint Journal, the Grand Haven Tribune, the Beavercreek Current, the Bellbrook Times, Springfield News-Sun, Grand Blanc View, Dayton Daily News and on the talk show Living Dayton.
WEBSITE: http://www.krystenlindsay.com/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor
Buy the book at these links: Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079S3KJSH
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079S3KJSH
Amazon IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B079S3KJSH
The Start of Us
by Rachel John
November 10th 2017
When Corrie Windsor’s roommate dies in a car accident, she leaves behind her four-year-old daughter, Ella. Corrie loves the little girl and hopes to adopt her, but instead, she’ll have to stand by while Ella’s uncle steps in to take custody. If things aren’t awkward enough, there’s a chemistry between them that neither wants to acknowledge.
Preston Ford can’t imagine instant parenthood, especially considering he just chickened out of proposing to his girlfriend. However, once he meets Ella, there’s no other choice. The time he spends with her and Corrie solidifies an alliance between the three of them, a plan to give Ella the stability she needs. But reality can sometimes turn the best of plans upside down.
With more than one heart hanging in the balance, how long can their platonic teamwork really last? Romance has never been this complicated.
On SALE for 99¢ March 19th – 25th!
Excerpt
“Ask her to dance,” Ella prompted. Her big brown eyes, so much like April’s, shined up at him. Only her hair was different, a dark brown instead of April’s blonde.
“What?” Preston looked at the doll she was shaking in his face.
“Sprinkles wants to dance. You have to ask her to dance.”
Preston snuck a glance at Corrie, who was holding back silent laughter, and then in his best doll voice said, “Sprinkles, may I have this dance?”
The two dolls swayed together, and Preston felt like the world’s biggest idiot. But if this was what Ella wanted to do, that’s what they’d do. Whether he adopted her or not, he was still her uncle, and he wanted her to have good memories of him.
Loretta cleared her throat and stood up. “I’m going to go. Ya’ll keep getting acquainted. Preston, give me a call later and we’ll talk. Bye, Ella.”
Ella waved. “Bye, Miss Loretta.”
Corrie looked a little panicked to see the woman go. He couldn’t blame her. He’d been in the apartment for five minutes and now they were left alone together to figure things out. He needed to explain how long he was staying. When he’d thought about spending a week with Ella, taking the time to make a careful decision, he hadn’t even thought about the roommate tagging along. She was just this person offering temporary housing. Having met her, she seemed like someone a little more important to Ella than that.
He ran a hand through his hair. “Um, I can go whenever you need me to. I don’t want to make you feel like I won’t leave if you give me a gentle hint. Although I’m here for a week, and I’d like to come over every day. My flight is next Tuesday. I can change it though, if I need to.”
Corrie came over and sat on the couch next to where they were playing on the floor. He had to look away from her long legs perched at eye level. Corrie wasn’t model-gorgeous like Nicole, but she was pretty enough to make the room feel smaller when he looked at her. He liked the sprinkle of freckles across her little snub nose and her big green eyes. He mentally smacked himself. They had things to work out, and dumb guy hormones would only make that harder.
“Spend as much time with Ella as you need. Would you like to stay for dinner?”
“That would be great.” The thought of eating alone in a restaurant was not appealing.
Ella reached up and pulled on Corrie’s arm. “Play with us, Corrie. You can have Buttercup. She wants to dance with…um, what’s your name again?” Ella turned her questioning eyes to Preston.
“Preston,” he prompted.
“Dance with Preston,” Ella insisted.
Corrie sat next to them and gave Preston an amused look. “Okay, Ella, but only for a minute. Then maybe we should play something else.”
Preston bounced his doll back and forth next to Corrie’s, although his eyes were trained on the wall behind her. He could ham it up for Ella, but having Corrie playing along ramped up the embarrassment ten-fold. Somehow it reminded him of slow dancing with a girl for the first time at a seventh-grade dance. He hadn’t been able to make eye contact then either.
Better with You
by Rachel John
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 162 pages
March 11th 2018
Paige Parker has no time for romance. She’s too busy building up her house-flipping business. But when a charming guy comes between her and the house she wants, Paige is a little more torn than she expected. For a girl who’s always gone with her firm business sense, she’s not sure how to trust her heart.
When it comes to dating, Shaun Randall is not about to get serious with anyone. He has his mother to take care of and enough family secrets to keep him running from any girl who gets too close. Spending time with Paige starts out as a means to get the house he wants, but every time he thinks it’s time to bail, he finds himself drawn in a little more.
When is it worth taking a chance on love?
Rachel John is the author of books filled with awkward humor and sigh-inducing romance. When not burning dinner or chasing kids, Rachel can be found working on family history, writing, reading, or putting off writing by staring at Facebook. She lives in Arizona with her husband, four crazy kids, and her desert tortoise.
Ends March 23rd
Q. What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read it?
A. I hope readers understand that past struggles may hold us back, but it is possible to move on and enjoy life and love again. Hope is the word I’d love for readers to remember. No matter how tough things may be, never give up hope, because hope can sometimes work miracles. It did for Daniel Delaney and Keela O’Mara, oh, and little Anna, too.
“I enjoy books with children in them, especially when the author gets their behavior consistent with their ages. Author Lynne Marshall created such a lovable character in Anna, the almost 5-year-old daughter of Keela. . .
I also really appreciated that the tragedies in each of their lives were explained early on in the book instead of having the hints throughout and them not revealed until the end. It helped to better understand their motivations.”
Dear Reader,
I’m so happy to share my twenty-fifth Harlequin book, Forever a Father, the launch book for The Delaneys of Sandpiper Beach trilogy. In book one, I introduce Daniel Delaney, the eldest brother, and Keela O’Mara, a young lady from Ireland who works for him. The more I got to know Daniel and Keela, the more I rooted for them and their happily-ever-after. If any couple deserved it, they did, but both had been disillusioned by love and have the emotional scars to prove it.
“Adorably sweet and heart-wrenching all in one! My heart was stolen by a four year old! 
Such a great story! . . The Delaney family is really down to earth and fun to spend time with, and I’m looking forward to more to come in this trilogy!”
Keela had never seen her daughter smile so much.
Every time she watched “Doctor Dan” with Anna, Keela’s heart warmed and her thoughts wandered to a secret and special place.
Suddenly, he got serious and turned to Anna. “Maybe it’s time you dropped the doctor part and just call me Dan?” He glanced at Keela, as if to get her approval about letting Anna call him that. She nodded.
“This is a story that will have you crying along with the characters. Especially at the end of the book. I really liked the family togetherness and how they spent time together with extended family. I hope that the next two books in the series keep us updated on this couple.”
A lyrical laugh eased out of Keela’s mouth, and it never failed to grab his attention. She might as well be singing.
“I’d never say that, Mrs. Haverhill. You’re in great shape—”
The sixtyish lady tossed Daniel a deadpan look that seemed to say, Do you believe the crock she’s feeding me? More, please.
He smiled and added a benevolent nod.
“This is a touching, yet, endearing tale of two people whose situations were very different, yet, both had been betrayed. Each were coping in the best way they could. Would it be enough?
The Book Cover was well-chosen and the Title passable but perhaps not a great choice. However, the development of the characters and portrayal of the background scenes were realistic to the point the reader felt he/she was a part of the story.”
Keela’s phone rang and she stepped inside her office to answer it. With the copier going, Daniel couldn’t hear the conversation, but as he gazed through the large office window, he noticed her brows were lowered. She said something else, then glanced toward the ceiling in a frustrated manner while listening. Just as his copies were done, she hung up, her shoulders slumped and her usual smile inverted. “Thanks for the too-late heads-up,” she raised her voice to the phone on her desk.
“I need help!” She used her outdoor voice, which startled him, and he jumped out of his chair to assist her by lifting her under the arms. Man, she was light, hardly weighed anything. So vulnerable and completely dependent on him. So trusting. Precious. She pushed the button for water, but her mop of curls got in the way. Her face got wet and she giggled. He almost smiled.
“Here,” he said, balancing her on his bent knee and thigh, and holding her hair out of the way with one hand. She slurped to her heart’s content, coming up only when she needed to breathe.
“You’re smart!” Why did everything she say come out like an exclamation? Still, her compliment caught him off guard and he cracked a smile for the first time that afternoon. Okay, so she was kind of cute.
He glanced at his watch again. All of fifteen minutes had passed since he’d been handed the job of childcare provider, and Keela wouldn’t be through until five. Now what should they do?
“This is the first book I have read by Mrs. Marshall and it was a great start to a new series. It was sweet, tender, and touching.
I really liked Daniel and Keela’s characters. I thought they were just right for each other. . .
I really enjoyed this book. I thought as I mentioned above that it was sweet and tender. I loved Daniels family and their family bond. And I can’t wait for his brothers books.”
Anna nodded, as serious as a little kid could be. Keela took the tiny, tangerine-colored backpack covered in animated movie characters off the child’s shoulders, unzipped it and fished out some crayons and a coloring book. “You can make some nice pictures for Daddy for when you see him next.” Then she escorted the girl to the chair opposite Daniel’s desk. The one he reserved for his patients. There was a small table with assorted magazines next to it. She could color on that. She was so tiny, and probably worried about the big mean-faced man. He tried to smile to ease her concerns, but failed. It wasn’t her fault she’d been stuck with him, old mean-face, who was still hurting and lost and, so far, unable to move on.
“Ms. Marshall works hard to establish a sense of the characters and the town and community for her readers. . . . overall, this was a sweet romance to read. I enjoyed reading how the two of them worked to overcome their own insecurities to take a chance on love.”
“Forever a Father is a sweet romance about two people who are starting over…but who both have many issues in their past that are standing in their way. . . . The book is the first in The Delaneys of Sandpiper Beach series, and introduces us to a charming town and family that has two more single sons whose stories are due to follow soon.”
She’d imposed her daughter on him, and what could she expect—that he’d love it? Thank the heavens it had ended well and she still had a job. But a flare of sadness made her think how Anna’s own father hardly ever wanted to spend time with her. At least Daniel had taken her for ice cream, maybe not because he wanted to, but because he was a decent guy. That alone made him different from her ex.
The day she’d first met Daniel Delaney, she’d tried her best to remain professional but knew her dire need for employment cracked through her job-applicant veneer. Please hire me. Please. Please. Please? His natural good looks had set her off-kilter, but she’d quickly focused beyond his shocking green eyes and his sturdy rugby build, the charming Irish smile she’d recognize anywhere. There was absolutely no reason for her to notice his stylishly cut, thick brown hair, but she had.
“He doesn’t know exactly what is about her and her little girl but they make him want things he didn’t think he would ever want again.
This story is a sweet romance and good read.”
Daniel finished assessing his last rescheduled patient, then went to his office, ready to pick up where he’d left off earlier, practicing his presentation for tomorrow, before he’d been interrupted by Anna. Even though the clinic was empty, he closed the door. The winding tangle in his chest since Anna walked in, reminding him of what he’d lost, pinched tighter. He sat, squeezed his eyes closed and, covering them with his hand, pressed his temples with thumb and fingertip. He stayed like that for a few moments, listening to his breathing, fighting off the pain, the grief, grasping at the calm that always eluded him at times like this. Don’t do it. Do. Not. Do it.
“It was a very quick read as it is only a little over 200 pages. I will say, this moved very fast. . . . I ended up enjoying this story though. If you are looking for a cute read, I definitely recommend this.”
Forever a Fatherby Lynne Marshall
March 1st 2018 by Harlequin Special Edition
Goodreads│Amazon│B&N│Book Depository
“Will you be my dad?”
Ask me anything but that.
Once upon a time, Dr. Daniel Delaney had it all. But he lost it in the blink of an eye, and he won’t let himself fall again—not even for his dedicated new assistant, Keela O’Mara, and her adorable, lonely little girl, Anna. Resisting a starry-eyed four-year-old is tough enough. Denying her perfect, loving single mom may be more than Daniel can handle…
Lynne Marshall has been traditionally published with Harlequin as a category romance author for more than ten years with over twenty-five books, and more recently with TULE Publishing, she has also gone hybrid with self-publishing. She is a Southern California native, has been married to a New Englander for a long time, and has two adult children of whom she is super proud. She is also an adoring grandmother of two beautiful little girls, a woman of faith, a dog lover, a cat admirer, a meandering walker, a curious traveler, and an optimistic participant in this wild journey called life.
3 winners will receive their choice of one print book from Lynne Marshall’s Home in Heartlandia series: A DOCTOR FOR KEEPS, HER PERFECT PROPOSAL, and FALLING FOR THE MOM-TO-BE (if US, winner will receive their book signed)
Ends March 7th
