RELEASE BLITZ for "High Country (Girl Power Collection)" by Cin Medley

High Country
(Girl Power Collection)
by Cin Medley

Published: July 31st, 2020

McKayla Parrish (Mac) has lived in the rough world of men her whole life. 
The middle daughter of a rancher, she walked in her father’s footsteps. 
Riding since she was 10 years old, Mac knew she was born to be exactly who she was — 
the only woman to ride a bull for 18 seconds. 
Fighting every step of the way, she earned the respect of her peers, 
even though they secretly wanted her to ride them.

Derek Downing lived a solitary life with his young daughter on the Double D ranch. 
One afternoon at the rodeo, he saw something he never thought in his lifetime he would see — 
a beautiful blonde riding a bull in the ring 
and taking every man down who dared to ride against her. 
After a conversation with the beauty, his heart was gone.

Mac was used to men coming on to her, 
but when this man walked away without undressing her, 
without a side comment on how she would feel riding him, she was intrigued.

Derek was accustomed to running his ranch, taking care of his daughter, 
and losing himself during his weekly dates, but after catastrophe strikes, 
he’s ready to admit those dates might mean more to him than he realized.

Amazon / Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR



I love to write the stories that float around in my head. I've written a wonderful series called Whispering Wind under C. J. Medley. I've also written many romance novels. I love my husband, daughter and our silly cat Tootsie. Life is what you make it out to be, and I love mine.

I believe that Love is The Journey that we all take through this life.

____________________

The Girl Power Collection is a celebration of feminism in an unprecedented manner 
and will serve as an inspiration for millions of readers across the globe.

Over the years, men that have made landmark achievements in different facets of life 
have often been celebrated with very little stories about bad ass women 
that have excelled in their respective positions. 
While there are some works that highlight the fantastic achievements 
of women in powerful positions, 
there is no particular project exclusively dedicated 
to celebrating the “girl power.”

The compilation contains short stories with the theme of Girl Power in whichever way the author defines it for herself and her readers. The 33 romance stories are narrated in a diverse yet entertaining and inspiring way and will be released in regular intervals throughout 2020.

BOOK BLITZ for "For the Win" by Raine Thomas

For the Win
by Raine Thomas
Publication date: July 25th, 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Determination. 

It’s what gets Jasmine Li out of bed every morning. She’s determined to overcome the injury that has derailed her career in ballet, the only love she’s ever known. She can’t afford to allow a baseball player to distract her, no matter how hot and persistent he might be. 

Commitment. 

Will Campbell defines the word. It’s what makes him a successful pitcher and it’s helping him learn how to be a single dad to a little girl with plenty of trust issues. Just his luck, the one person his daughter—and his heart—finally respond to is a stubborn, sexy ballerina with plans that don’t involve relationships or children. 

But Will didn’t become the best closer in the majors by giving up. He knows what he wants and what his daughter needs, and he’s going to get it. Jasmine Li has met her match…and he’s playing for the win.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

Excerpt:

The strains of some kind of classical music reached Will before he entered the room. He didn’t immediately see Katie and Jasmine. When he reached the chair he’d pulled down for himself, he saw them standing at the barre, facing the mirror.
He was pretty sure his eyes nearly plopped out of his head.
Jasmine was performing a standing split. Her long legs, now covered in tights rather than the baggy pants, made one straight vertical line. Her right hand grasped the barre while her left hand grasped her calf in the air, leaving her torso curved in an elegant arch.
“So that’s the second position stretch,” Jasmine said, lowering her leg. “But as I said, that will come later. Our barre work will be much more basic to start.”
She spotted him as he dropped down into his chair. He did his best to close his gaping mouth.
“All done?” she asked.
“Yep.”
Thank God she didn’t ask him anything else. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to find his voice again.
Jesus. She was magnificent.
There was no doubt Jasmine was a beautiful woman. She had dark, lustrous hair, a flawless porcelain complexion, high cheekbones, and almond-shaped brown eyes that hinted at Asian heritage somewhere in the mix. She was lithe and slender, her every movement a study in grace and precision.
And she had fucking killer legs.
Sure, she was beautiful. But now…good lord. Those tights and that leotard showed him just what her baggy clothes had been hiding. Combined with the refinement of her movements, it had his body responding in a completely unexpected way.
Which was crazy, he told himself, since her poise and control were the two traits he had initially disliked about her the most.
Life could sure be ironic.
He shook off his reaction and returned his focus to the lesson, doing his best to look only at Katie. He pulled out his phone and used his camera, both to take pictures and capture some video. His dad was going to want to see them later.
The lesson went over the hour by nearly twenty minutes. Will hadn’t even registered how much time had passed. Having the opportunity to watch his daughter learn something that made her happy had the time passing in a blink.
“I know going through the moves and positions is repetitive,” Jasmine said as she and Katie sat to change their shoes. “But these are building blocks to learning routines.”
Katie nodded sagely. It had Will’s lips twitching in amusement, especially when he observed how she was mimicking Jasmine’s posture and mannerisms.
“It seems you enjoyed yourself, huh, kiddo?” he said, walking over to her and giving her bun a gentle tug.
She smiled and nodded.
“Would you like to do this again?” Jasmine asked her.
Another nod, this one more vigorous.
Jasmine also smiled. The genuineness of it made her attractive on a whole other level. It revealed to him that she wasn’t just polished, poised, and aloof. There was passion inside her just waiting to be ignited.
Five minutes later, he locked Giuseppe’s doors and walked with Jasmine to the back of the Jeep so he could load the barre for her. She reached past him to toss her gym bag into the back and he caught her scent, something lightly floral and utterly feminine that once again made his libido take notice. And when she reached up, untwisted her hair tie, and released her glorious dark hair so it spilled down between her shoulder blades, there was even a moment where he forgot how to breathe.
“Call or text me when you’re ready to schedule another lesson,” she said as she closed the Jeep’s rear hatch.
“Sure,” he managed. Then, remembering he hadn’t paid her, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He handed her the hundred dollars plus an extra twenty for the additional time she’d given them. “Thanks again for doing this.”
“It was my pleasure.”
He and Katie waved her off and then climbed into his truck to head home. As he started the engine and backed out of the parking spot, he took a moment to reflect on how the lesson had gone.
He had started it with serious reservations about working with Jasmine because he hadn’t thought she would be invested in Katie, and he quite frankly hadn’t liked her very much. Now here he was ninety minutes later, having serious reservations about working with her for the exact opposite reasons.
He wasn’t at all sure what to do about that. When he’d come up with this idea, he’d had some expectation that he’d have to help protect Katie’s heart from being broken if this didn’t work out.
What the hell was he going to do to protect his own?

Author Bio:

Raine Thomas is the award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine has signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen. She's a proud indie author who is living the dream. When she isn't writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida's beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives. 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon / Pinterest

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BOOK REVIEW for "Hasty (Do-Over, #4)" by Julia Kent

HASTY (Do-Over series, #4)

Author: Julia Kent

Release date:  July 28, 2020

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer:  Hang Le

Editor: Elisa Reed

AN ALL-NEW STANDALONE FROM NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JULIA KENT COMPLETES THE DO-OVER SERIES!

I never thought my perp walk would lead to true love.

Then again, I never thought I’d be arrested on RICO charges and hauled away in zip ties on camera for the world to see, minutes after closing the most amazing deal of my career.

And all of it in front of my biggest rival, billionaire wunderkind Ian McRory.

I am broke.

I am disgraced.

I am alone.

I am a sucker.

But the worst part? I have to go back to my hometown 

and live in my bedroom filled with relics from my childhood.

Lisa Frank never made me so mad before.

Just when I needed a rescue, I got one — in the form of help from my biggest rival.

He can’t bring back my money.

He certainly can’t bring back my reputation or my pride.

But there’s one thing he can bring back to me.

A sense of hope.

Maybe even love.

Ian sees something in me no one else does, and he’s relentless about making me see it, too. As we grow closer, I’m starting to see that while my entire life used to be a lie, the truth is staring me in the present — and it’s a truth I like very, very much, hot eyes and gorgeous smile and all.

But I have to be careful.

I can’t be too —

That’s right.

Hasty.

The final book in the USA Today bestselling Do-Over Series (Fluffy, Perky, Feisty), 

as Mallory's sister, Hastings "Hasty" Monahan gets her turn at a happily ever after 

that starts off with an arrest.

Hers.

~ BOOK REVIEW for Hasty ~

****(4) out of 5 stars!

Having read the prior book in this series, Feisty, I was not at all prepared to like Hasty.  She was described primarily as "Mallory's evil older sister," and pretty much came across as such.  This time around, we see things from Hasty's perspective, and get a real glimpse into her feelings and thought process.  She is, admittedly even, something of a witch; but, rather surprisingly, she does generally have good intentions.

As her world is turned upside down, and she is forced to face some hard truths about herself, Hasty actually begins to grow and mature.  Of course, there are a lot of stops and starts to her emotional journey; same as in her relationship with Ian.  But, eventually, the good begins to outweigh the bad in both what life has to offer her, as well as what she puts into and takes out of it.  

As always with an extended series, it is fun to see characters from the prior book(s), and learn what they are up to.  The players in this series are quite unique and noteworthy in their own way.  But they are really just background to the primary story between Hasty and Ian.

Actually, Ian himself doesn't play much of a role in the story until close to the end.  We do see him in fits and starts; and he provides some legal assistance to Hasty, a job when she needs one, etc.  But mostly he's not even around.  And although he is continually professing his attraction and devotion to Hasty, he keeps leaving the scene, from a few hours to a few months.  Their relationship supposedly continues to develop even in his absence, but we aren't really privy to any of that, so it is hard to follow and even harder to buy into.  Most of what we do see of Ian is good, although he does have his own insecure and immature moments.  I definitely wish we had seen more of him though.  

The writing, however, makes up for a lot of the flaws in the characters and storyline.  It was just extremely well done.  The tone and feel of this book was as different as night-and-day from Feisty.  The author did a remarkable job of expressing the voice of this character, and she was far less annoying than the last heroine.  I definitely want to read the first couple of books in the series in order to learn the stories of Fluffy and Perky, as well as get more of a feel for their characters.  

   I received a free eBook copy of this title from the author, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

EXCERPT:

Ah, that tongue. His hands. He's a roamer. You know the type. The lover whose hands go everywhere, all the time, tracking and touching, consuming and cataloguing, not for data's sake but because they can't get enough. Ian's style demands my full attention, that my body be completely present, because he is.

He's fully here.

And as he presses me even closer to him, his erection makes it clear how full, indeed, he is.

For me.

I've dreamt about kissing Ian for longer than I care to admit, and the taste of him is better than I ever imagined. He's charmingly aggressive, until I feel electricity shooting through every nerve system in my body, skin on fire and pulse pounding against my skin, trying to climb into his body and twist into him until we're so tangled, we're hopelessly together.

Forever.

One kiss. It takes one single kiss to do this to me.

Other Standalone Books in the Series:

Little Miss Perfect (FREE)

https://www.prosaicpress.com/jkentauthor/free-ebooks/

Fluffy

https://www.prosaicpress.com/jkentauthor/books/fluffy/

Perky

https://www.prosaicpress.com/jkentauthor/books/perky/

Feisty

https://www.prosaicpress.com/jkentauthor/books/feisty/

Buy links:

Amazon (all countries): https://geni.us/HastyAMZsm

Google Play: https://geni.us/HastyGPlaysm

Kobo: https://geni.us/HastyKOBOsm

BN/Nook: https://geni.us/HastyNOOKsm

Apple Books:  https://geni.us/HastyABsm

Audiobook narrated by Erin Mallon – Coming Soon

BookBub:  https://geni.us/HastyBBsm

Goodreads: https://geni.us/HastyGRsm

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 19 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French and German, with more titles releasing in 2020 and beyond.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet 

(and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children 

where she is the only person in the household with the gene required 

to change empty toilet paper rolls.

Social Media Links:

Website:  http://jkentauthor.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jkentauthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jkentauthor

Newsletter:  http://bit.ly/2PIBi9n

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jkentauthor/

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julia-kent

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3238619.Julia_Kent

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Julia-Kent/e/B00A99V268/

#Hasty  #DoOver  #JuliaKent

BOOK BLITZ & BOOK REVIEW for "Man Down (Rookie Rebels, #3)" by Kate Meader

Man Down
(Rookie Rebels, #3)
by Kate Meader
Publication date: July 28th, 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Gunnar Bond is broken. 

Three years ago, he lived through the car crash that took his wife and twins away from him—though “lived” barely describes his current state. Giving up professional hockey, going off grid, and drinking himself into oblivion are his coping mechanisms. Another is texting his dead wife about his days without her. Therapeutic? Doubtful. Crazy? Definitely. But those messages into the ether are virtually the only thing stopping him from spiraling to even darker places. 

Until someone texts back... 

Sadie Yates is losing it. 

Suddenly guardian to a little sister she doesn’t know and a misbehaving hound she’d rather not know at all, she’s had to upend her (sort of) glamorous life in LA and move back to Chicago. The nanny has quit, the money’s running out, and her job is on the line. The last thing she needs is her sister’s hockey camp counselor, a judgmental Viking type, telling her she sucks at this parenting lark. Thank the goddess for her sweet, sensitive, and—fingers crossed—sexy text buddy who always knows the right thing to say. In the same city at last, they can finally see if their online chemistry is mirrored in real life. She just needs to set up a meeting… 

A ruined man who claims to have used up all his love is surely a bad bet, but Sadie’s never been afraid of a challenge… even one that might shatter her heart into a million pieces.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

~ BOOK REVIEW for Man Down ~

****(4) out of 5 stars!

The entire premise of this book was just so sad!  The start and end, literally, are both heart-wrenching!  It was all my sensitive soul could do to make it through this book.

There is definitely a lot of humor, affection and heat, as well as plenty of fun and good times, but there are also a huge amount of negative situations that impact the two main romantic leads, as well as some of the people around them.  

Sadie was an absolute gem of a person.  She was so positive, devoted, resourceful, and just plain nice.  She was really willing to do anything for the people she loved; and this went beyond her general propensity to act as a human door-mat.

And Gunnar was just the epitome of a tragic hero.  His back-story was almost more than I could bear.  Yet watching him slowly return to the land of the living was great to see.  He had such a capacity for love and affection that just needed to be expressed.

It was amazing when, where, why and how these two were able to get together.  They were definitely good for one another, despite all of the harm that they (mostly inadvertently) caused one another.  I was very happy to see them eventually work through all of the issues plaguing them, and especially for Gunnar to take the first steps toward getting the help he needed to deal with his grief in the best way possible.  

It was delightful to see so many familiar faces from the Rebels family of friends, and to get to know some of them a bit more or from a different perspective.  I adored Cooper, despite his propensity to make a monumental mess at the most inopportune times.

Basically, this was a great read, even with all of the tissues required.  Another wonderful addition to the Rookie Rebels series!  

I received a free eBook copy of this title from the author, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

Excerpt:

She smoothed the skirt of her dress, a cute shift style she’d cut from an old Vogue pattern and paired with a fun, sparkly belt. Placing her hand on the door handle, she grabbed her Kate Spade, gift from her friend Peyton, only to stall at hearing her phone buzz.
“Hold your horses, woman,” she muttered, expecting to see an all-caps text from Allegra. Instead it was from someone rather unexpected.
LonelyHeart: It’s cold and miserable, like me. How about you?
More than twenty-four hours later, he’d texted back! About the weather, but she’d take it.
Sadie: Sunny with a chance of more sun. Like me!
She cringed at her ridiculousness. Sadie: Sorry, just being a goof. What’s going on? Forehead slap. He’s mourning his wife, that’s what.
LonelyHeart: I’ve been thinking about the 9 million numbers and how it is you have this one number. Of all the numbers. This one that means something to me.
She had no idea what to say to that. Maybe it’s fate? The goddess? Maybelline?
The dots started up again and she let him finish his thought.
LonelyHeart: Maybe it means we’re supposed to be talking.
Sadie: I think so. It has to be a sign.
LonelyHeart: So you don’t think it’s weird?
What? Talking to a man who wished he was chatting with the deceased love of his life. Nah!
Sadie: No, not at all. You don’t have to say anything, but I wanted you to know I’m here if you need to talk.
LonelyHeart: Not much of a talker.
Sadie smiled. This man—and she was sure it was a man—was much more of a “talker” than he claimed.
Sadie: Yet you can’t shut up in those texts :) 
LonelyHeart: Kind of chatty when there’s only four wooden walls.
Sadie: You have me now.
She sent it before she had time to think about how it would sound. Presumptuous. Needy. A bridge too far.
Allegra: SADIE, WHERE ARE YOU??!!!
Damn. She waited for LonelyHeart to respond, worried she’d scared him off. Her phone rang with Allegra’s high-energy smile on the screen (Allegra had energy degrees for her smiles. This one was an eight.) Sadie let it go to voice mail. It seemed incredibly important that she wait for his response. Just a second, just one more second …
LonelyHeart: I should let you go. I’ll check in later if that’s okay.
Sadie’s heart thundered. Definitely. I’m dying to hear about the wooden walls. Are you Amish? But a user of phones? An Amish tech-lover?
LonelyHeart: No. I live in a cabin. In a forest.
Sadie: Like the Unabomber? I’m not really into revolutionary anarchy but I can tell a million jokes about it.
LonelyHeart: Jokes would be welcome during the revolution.
Sadie: Awesome! I’ll get my arsenal of bad puns ready. (Arsenal? Revolution? Get it?) Prepare to be entertained.
LonelyHeart: Is that your way of discouraging me from checking in? Because I’m not easily frightened.
Sadie: Wait until you hear my A material.

Author Bio: 

Originally from Ireland, USA Today bestselling author Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Harlequins thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron, a fire hose, or a hockey stick, and she's there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip. 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon

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BOOK BLITZ for "Between the Pages" by Lauren Baker

Between the Pages
by Lauren Baker
Publication date: July 20th, 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Whatever possessed her to say yes? 

Emmy Flanagan never thought she’d be forced into a Faustian pact to stop her beloved bookstore being turned into a luxury residence. But when her landlord, multi-millionaire Eric Oswell, offers to postpone the eviction if she’s willing to go on a few dates with him, it’s either accept or see four years of hard work and dedication go up in smoke. 

The bad news is, he’s charming, well-read and irritatingly self-assured, and they spark off each other like two characters in a Lubitsch romcom. Which makes it very hard for her to resist the powerful physical attraction between them – even though she knows it’s a terrible idea. He woos her with classical concerts, nights at the opera, art exhibitions and a magical mystery Thanksgiving trip – but his deep-rooted trust issues and traumatic family secrets threaten to destroy their relationship before it’s had a chance to prove itself. 

Set in contemporary New York City, Between the Pages charts a fast-moving romance with explosive chemistry between two very different but equally driven people. It’s Lauren Baker’s second novel after Finding Home, co-written with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bonnie Dee.

Goodreads / Amazon

Excerpt:

They stepped out into challenging weather — the rain had picked up in intensity while they were dining, coupled with a buffeting wind that made even walking a few hundred yards unpleasant work. Eric was holding her close, and mellowed by the food, the drink, the music, Emmy leaned into his body, instinctively seeking the warmth radiating from him.
“This time, I’m not letting you go home alone in this godawful weather,” he said, steering her towards the car that pulled over at their level.
Emmy would’ve resisted, but her body betrayed her, too happy to spend longer wrapped in his warmth and to escape being lashed by the wind and drenched by the rain. The car was warm and spacious, its leather seats comfortable, the driver a silent presence behind a glass screen, while Eric was next to her, his arm now slipped behind her shoulder, in a loose familiar hug that neither threatened nor excluded further action.
He smelled masculine and enticing, with a hint of discreet cologne, and when she found herself inhaling deeply, he in turn pulled her in a little closer, until her head was on his shoulder and her whole body tingled with slow-burning arousal. It was both so very wrong and so perfectly right as they sped through the rain-soaked night, the city lights flickering in every puddle and wet surface they passed, the low hum of the engine lulling her into a sensual torpor.
The movement was almost imperceptible, but his hand was suddenly near her face, and his thumb brushed lightly against her full bottom lip, which sent unerring messages of lust through her body. His thumb stroked her mouth two, three times, before she parted her lips, and heard him draw a shuddering breath. Oh. Oh. He was at least as into this as her, clearly.
Next thing she knew his mouth was on hers, his hand sliding to the back of her head as he kissed her tentatively. His lips were warm, soft, and gentle on hers, the kiss light, but it set off a wave of desire rippling through her body, the strength of which shocked her. Eric was obviously holding himself in check — he was taking his time, dropping kisses from one corner of her mouth to the other, feather light touches that were unraveling her entirely. He tasted of bitter coffee and dark chocolate, and somehow these had just become the most delicious and exciting flavors in the world.
His tongue flickered out, sweeping against her lip, electric, and she couldn’t contain a whimper of raw need which in turn spurred him on, from tentative to more demanding, until she surrendered her mouth to him, and God, Eric Oswell could kiss.
He pulled her closer to him, chest to chest, her nipples erect and aching pressed against his solid frame, and she ran a hand up his shoulder and into his hair, fingertips cradling his head as the kiss deepened. His hands were stroking her neck and back, leaving trails of fire in their wake, and Emmy became aware of a deep throbbing need in her that was threatening to overwhelm her sanity. She wanted more, more of his insatiable mouth, more of his agile tongue, more of the masculine scent that was invading her senses.
When he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, drawing shaky breaths as they both tried to regain control of themselves, she realized she was trembling. Also, that the car had pulled over in what, upon close inspection, turned out to be her street. Time to call it before they hit the point of no return, and no matter how desperately she wanted him to come up to her apartment, there was absolutely no way she was going to ask him.

Author Bio: 

London based journalist with a sideline as a romance writer; also a prolific reader, and keen on all things fiction - on the page, the stage, the big screen and the small. Dreamer at heart. 

Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

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BOOK SALE on "Best Fake Fiance (Loveless Brothers, #2)" by Roxie Noir

★  ★  ★ 99¢ SEXY STEAL!  ★  ★  ★

Faking it is easy.

Resisting her?

Impossible. 

Best Fake Fiance,

a sexy and hilarious single dad romance

from Roxie Noir,

is ON SALE for 99¢ for a limited time only! 

Download your copy for only 99¢ today,

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Amazon: https://amzn.to/2H59gPQ

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My life has room for exactly two women: my daughter Rusty and my best friend Charlotte — known to everyone as Charlie. 

One is a feisty, tomboyish firecracker. The other is my seven-year-old.

I can’t imagine life without either.

So when my ex springs a custody hearing on me,

I find myself telling the judge that I’m engaged to Charlie.

The only problem? I’m not. 

Time to fake an engagement.

Pretending we’re a couple will be no big deal.

We’ve been friends for years. We used to sneak cigarettes behind the bleachers.

We turned cans of hairspray into flamethrowers. We got drunk on stolen malt liquor. 

She’s beautiful, vivacious, spontaneous, and she loves my daughter to death.

It’s the perfect answer: we fake it for a few months, then go back to our lives.

Until we touch, and sparks fly. Until I can’t take my eyes off her.

Until I can’t stop thinking about what she’s got on under her coveralls.

It takes one kiss. 

One touch. 

One shared secret and suddenly, I’m not pretending anymore.

I want her, I need her in ways I didn’t know I could.

But there’s a lifetime of friendship between us,

and falling in love with Charlie could risk everything.