“Corinne Michaels and Melanie Harlow are a match made in heaven. Five-Sweet-Stars for this unforgettable collaboration!” --A.L. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author

Hold You Close, an all-new second chance standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Corinne Michaels and USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is available now!

Synopsis

From NYT Bestseller Corinne Michaels & USA Today Bestseller Melanie Harlow, comes a second chance standalone romance.

Ian Chase broke my heart at seventeen, and I’ve spent the last eighteen years hating him for it.

He makes it easy, with his smart mouth and playboy lifestyle—which I unfortunately have to observe since he lives behind me. Every time I see him climbing out of his pool, practically naked and unreasonably sexy, my blood boils.

I’ve always loved to loathe him.

I never planned to need him.

***

London Parish is my little sister’s best friend, not that it stopped me from falling for her.

Our history is complicated. The only thing we have in common is being godparents to my sister’s three adorable kids—until our lives are changed in one tragic moment.

Now we’re trying to raise the children we love, mourn an unthinkable loss, and fight an undeniable attraction.

My life is already upside-down, and the last thing I need is for old feelings to resurface.

Because I’ll never be able to keep her, no matter how hard I try to hold her close.

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Excerpt:

“Ian,” my bartender, Toby, calls with his hand out. “What’s up?” “You have a call.” He pushes the phone toward me. No one calls the club for me other than vendors, and it’s eleven-thirty at night, so whoever it is can wait. “I have to deal with something now, send them to my voicemail.” He shakes his head. “She’s called three times.” The annoyance in his voice is clear, even over the music. She? The only woman that would resort to calling the club is my ex-wife. God only knows what bullshit she wants now. For all I know she broke a nail, it’s my fault, and she thinks I should pay for her new manicure, or a hand replacement. She’s like the gift you’ve tried to return but can’t find the receipt for, so you’re stuck with it. I hate unwanted presents, and I hate Jolene. “Send the devil to my voicemail,” I say and walk away. I head out to the sidewalk. Drea wasn’t kidding, the line is nuts. “Hello, Officer,” I say to the pudgy cop standing next to the bouncer. “Mr. Chase, we’re getting complaints,” he says, looking down the sidewalk at the line. “I can’t help that we’re popular.” I shrug. “I’m at capacity, and can’t kick out the paying customers to take care of the line.” “You’re obstructing the entrances of other businesses because of the way your overflow lines are set up.” How the hell would they like me to handle it? We’re not inside the casino, there’s no way to control the line. I’m not about to turn away people when we hit the number ten. This is a business, and part of the free marketing I get is thanks to the line. “All right, I’ll figure something out.” I grip the back of my neck. I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. If this is Jolene, I swear to God, I might lose my fucking mind. The name flashes across the screen, London Parish. For fuck’s sake. Like I need to deal with my sister’s uptight, irritating best friend right now. London would be incredibly hot if she wasn’t such a raging bitch. I look at my call log and see this is the third time she’s called. I walk down the strip a little, and after a few deep breaths, I call her back. “Ian, you need to come to my house.” I smirk. “Well, this is a first. Did you have the stick removed from your ass?” “Don’t. Not today, please. Just come here.” I hear her sniff and my protectiveness kicks in. Someone made her cry. We don’t get along at all—partly because we’re polar opposites and partly because of our history—but no one gets to make her cry. “Are you hurt?” I ask. “Not in the way you think.” Her voice hitches. I’ve known London for twenty-five years. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen or heard her cry—I was the reason one of those times. “What’s wrong? Is it an emergency? Because I’m at work and the club—” “Now, Ian. You need to come here now.” She also doesn’t play games. Fuck. I look at my watch and blow a deep breath through my nose. It’ll take me at least thirty minutes to get there. This is seriously a shitty night. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” “Just . . . hurry,” London says and hangs up. Dread pulls at my stomach, telling me there’s something going on. I don’t know what, but I know I need to get there. “Get rid of the line, no more get in,” I tell the bouncer, and then head inside. Drea is at the bar, and my anxiety is starting to grow. London needs me there, why? What happened? Did someone break into her house? Mine? Maybe it has to do with an ex, if she even has one, or it could be nothing like that. Regardless, her voice was shaky and I can’t waste time wondering. “I have to go,” I tell Drea. Her eyes widen. “Go? Go where? It’s a packed house.” “I’m aware of that, but something came up. I need you to handle things tonight.” I turn to Toby. “Stay until Drea is done closing and I want you to escort her to her car at the end of the night.” He nods. I never let her walk out of here alone. Even if I have someone coming home with me, Drea’s not going to be unescorted. Too many men get the wrong impression because she’s nice to them. Over my dead body will she be hurt as a result of working at my club. After I get in the car, my mind is racing. I drive faster than I should, telling myself that London is just being dramatic. And then I remember . . . she has my nephew and nieces at her house. My foot pushes down on the pedal of my Jaguar, making the engine howl with each mile. I turn into the development where we both live, pass my house, and head to hers. I still hate that our backyards touch. Every damn day I see her sitting out on her deck, reading her books, looking down at me with her disapproving attitude. When I get there, the flashing lights of a police car brighten the road. I don’t think. I don’t know if I even put the car in park before I’m out of the vehicle. “London!” I yell as I rush through the door. “Christopher? Morgan? Ruby?” I call out for the kids, praying it’s not one of them. When I get to the living room, I release a heavy sigh—they’re all there, not hurt. Then I see the tears streaming down Morgan’s face. London gets to her feet. Her eyes are red, puffy, and black mascara runs down her cheeks. “Ian.” She chokes on my name. “What’s wrong? What happened?” The girls start to cry again, and my nephew pulls them into his arms. London moves toward me, placing her hand on my chest. “They’re gone.” “Who?” I ask, confused. “Sabrina and David,” she whispers. Yeah, they went on a trip. Why the hell are they crying? “This is what you called me for? They’ll be home in a few days. Why are you crying too?” I ask. Her green eyes meet mine and her lips part. “No.” She shakes her head. “They won’t.” I look over at the kids again, and then to the muted television. My feet move closer, because I have to be sure the words flashing across the screen say what I think they say. “Flight 1184 crashes off the coast of Hawaii. Three hundred missing and presumed dead.” My sister was going to Hawaii. My sister is gone. I sink to my knees in front of the kids, unsure what to say. They just lost their parents, and my heart is breaking. My sister was my best friend. She was the one who pushed me to open Veil and do what I wanted. I’ve always had her support, and now she’s gone. Christopher lifts his head, his brown eyes filled with unshed tears. “They’ll find them,” he says with conviction. “Okay,” I reply. We both know it’s a lie, but it’s one he has to tell himself. I remember being fifteen; there was no telling me I was wrong. “Dad wouldn’t . . .” he starts, and then stops as his lip quivers. My own tears start to fall, as Morgan grabs my hand. “What do we do now?” I have no fucking clue. How do I tell these kids how to survive? I’m the last person in the world equipped to give this advice. I look to London. Her hand touches my shoulder and she wipes the tears that fall silently down her cheeks. “We hold each other close,” she says.

About the authors:

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Corinne Michaels is the author of nine romance novels. She’s an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife. After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. She enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak and finding a way to heal them through their struggles. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love.

USA Today Bestselling Author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she's not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak. Melanie is the author of the AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

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Waiting for Her, an all-new emotional, standalone second chance romance from Jennifer Van Wyk is available NOW!

Our relationship was such a cliché.

Friends to lovers. High school sweethearts.

Then... driven by insecurities, I broke Grady Ryan’s heart.

I was weak, afraid to love, and even more afraid to be loved.

There are secrets I’ve kept buried but I can’t forget what we once shared.

I’ve been given a second chance and this time, I’m prepared to fight for him.

After six long years of silence, Bri Jameson is back in my life.

I never expected to see her again, especially not to share in the biggest opportunity of my career.

When she walks toward me across my football field, I can’t stop my heart from racing.

But time hasn’t stopped me from knowing her – and I know she’s hiding something.

I can only hope whatever it is doesn’t ruin me.

I’ve finally moved on and I won’t fall into her trap again.

I wish I could tell my heart the same thing – it’s just been waiting for her.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2MgHAIh

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Excerpt:

“It’s Bri.” Mia says, both shock and confusion in her voice. “Yeah, that’s what I said.” “No, Grady. It’s. Bri.” Savannah says, nodding her head with wide eyes. Mia’s eyes are narrowed, and Cole looks like he’s seen a ghost. Actually, he’s not even looking at me. None of them are. They’re looking behind me. I turn in my seat to see what they’re all gawking at, and wouldn’t you know it, the object of conversation is right there. Standing behind me. Bright green eyes glistening. Top teeth biting down on her plush bright red bottom lip. Dark hair down, curling over her shoulders. Beautiful. To anyone else, she would look like she’s going to a St. Patrick’s Day party, but I know Bri. She has more green and white in her closet than anyone I know. If I bleed the colors, she may as well paint them on her body. I’m sure it’s at least part of the reason she was chosen to do the story on me. She knows Warrior football better than anyone I know. My eyes can’t decide which part of her to catalogue first. When I was younger, I was positive there was nothing sexier than Bri Jameson. It’s shockingly apparent nothing’s changed, at least in my reaction to her appearance. I take in the rest of her, wanting so badly to reach out and pull her into my arms. She’s grown into a beautiful woman. “Bri,” I breathe out her name, stumbling like a moron to get out of my chair. The effects of two shots in less than a few minutes time hitting me more than I care to admit. Surprisingly, I have a low alcohol tolerance. With my size, one would think I’d be able to handle a lot of liquor. Not so much. “Hi, Grady.” The sound of her voice causing my heart to speed up triple time. I haven’t heard it in years. Except for in my dreams. Or nightmares, depending on the night. And it still hits me direct in the gut. “What am I missing?” I hear Drew murmur behind me only to be shushed by the girls. “Um. What…” I trail off, clear my throat, look down at the dirty bar floor, shake my head and look back at her, standing up in the process. She takes a small step back to allow me room. She’s a little thing. Only about 5 feet tall. When we were dating, I would have to practically bend in half to kiss her. A lifetime ago. My chin meets my chest when I tilt my head down to her. “What are you doing here?” I ask, finally finding my voice. She looks away quickly before returning those eyes that always drew me to her. I never could resist her shining emerald eyes. She simply had to flutter her long lashes at me, and I was putty in her hands. “Um, I heard about this incredible band and wanted to check them out since…” Her voice trails off as she glances at the table of my friends and family uncomfortably. She’s back in town, is what she failed to finish saying. She swallows and closes her eyes. I lick my lips, blow out a breath, and wait for her to open them back up. “Wait. A. Minute.” Cole’s voice breaks through our stare down. “Bri?” Mia sneers. Or as close to sneering as she gets. “What the hell are you doing here?” I turn in time to see her waddle her pregnant body out of the chair, shove Cole’s hand away from her shoulder and come to stand in front of me, effectively pushing Bri away a few steps considering Mia’s, well, she’s not little at the moment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize everyone would…” “Realize what? That we would be here to support Brandon?” Mia crosses her arms over her chest and taps her foot. I press my lips together to keep from laughing. Mia’s hardly a threat, but she’s also protective of me. I place a hand on Mia’s shoulder and she twists her head to peek at me. She raises her eyebrows and tilts her head to the side, narrowing her eyes at me in a silent challenge for me to let her be. “Easy, mama bear,” I murmur. Bri looks down at Mia’s protruding belly then in Cole’s direction. She smiles faintly, her eyes glossing over slightly. I doubt if anyone else noticed, but I’ve always been a little more in tune to Bri than anyone else. “Mom mentioned you were expecting. When are you due?” she asks quietly. Mia lifts her chin, probably determined not to answer her because she’s a stubborn little shit, but Cole pipes up. “Two weeks.” “Congratulations.” She smiles but it’s sad. “Yup. We got married, too,” Mia says, a hint of snark in her voice, raising her hand to show her ring finger. “Mia,” Cole murmurs a quiet warning. “Yes, I heard that.” Of course she’d heard. Her entire family was there, celebrating with us. I’d swallowed down the hurt all day, enjoyed the moment of celebrating with my brother and Mia. Pushed away the jealousy I felt toward him and Mia, who’d also been friends before they started dating. It had been a little over two years at that point since she had walked out on our relationship. Walked out of my life. Part of me had wondered if she’d show up at the wedding. A bigger part of me held out hope it would happen. I missed the hell out of her and as pathetic as it may make me sound, I was still waiting for her to come back to me. That night, more changed for me than only getting a new sister. With Bri’s stepdad working for our dads, who own a construction company together, it’s not as if we’re strangers. Our families don’t just know each other, we’re connected in every way that matters. Which leads me to believe she knew Mia and Cole were expecting, too. “You missed a lot,” Mia reminds her, hurt and anger lacing her voice. In another time, Bri would have been one of Mia’s bridesmaids. It was a hole that was missing on the special day that everyone felt, not just me. I was always waiting. Waiting for her to come back. Waiting for her to come to her senses. Waiting for her to love me enough to fight. “I did,” she nods her head sadly. “I wish I hadn’t.” Me too. I can’t take my eyes off her. Can’t believe she’s here. Standing in front of me. Still looking too beautiful for her own damn good. Life, man. What a mother-effing bitch it is. “Yeah, well. It’s done,” Mia snaps. Bri breaking up with me didn’t hurt just me. That hurt and pain extended far and wide. “Mia,” Bri whispers. Raising her eyes from where they’ve been fixated on the floor between us, she looks directly at me, rather than Mia. My gut clenches when our eyes lock, afraid she’ll see the hurt still living inside me. The sound of a chair scraping along the floor behind me startles me, breaking our stare down. She turns and starts to reach out a hand to Mia but pulls back. Rather, she lifts a hand and twists a finger through the thick strands. I used to be obsessed with running my fingers through her hair A flash of déjà vu hits me when I remember she would always mess with it when she was nervous, especially in front of a crowd of people. “I’m so sorry I missed it. I have no excuse. I won’t pretend any of what I did was okay.” “You’re right. It wasn’t. But like I said, it’s done,” Mia says dismissively. She doesn’t accept Bri’s apology, but I know Mia. She will eventually. The only reason she’s holding a grudge right now is because she thinks I need her to and because she’s more hurt than she’s letting on. If Bri wants forgiveness, she’s going to have to earn it. “So. You’re back?” Bri takes a step in my direction, and I see realization hit Cole’s features. He points a finger at her then me. “Wait. Is she the one?” Out of the corner of my eye I see Drew’s head going back and forth like he’s at a tennis match, but I ignore him. I should introduce them, but I figure they’ll get to know each other soon enough. Irritation suddenly settles in my veins. Being this close to Bri used to provide me with a sense of calm. “The one, what?” I growl, staring down at the girl I once thought was my forever. “The one doing the article,” he explains. Cole’s not stupid. He knows she’s a reporter and who she works for. Her showing up after all this time obviously isn’t a coincidence. I pause a few beats, breathe in deep as her eyes, so expressive and beautiful, blink up at me. “Yeah,” I admit, my heart in my throat. “She is.”

OUR REVIEW:

If you are a fan of sweet, second chance romances, then Waiting for Her is exactly what you need for your next read!

This is the first story by Jennifer Van Wyk for me and I am definitely intrigued. I found her writing to be very well done. I was easily hooked by the storyline in Waiting for Her and though I did have to put it down to be an adult, it was consistently on my mind...anxiously awaiting a moment to get back to it. Reading time was just under 5 hours all together but seemed to go rather quickly in my mind as I was so wrapped up in this story!

Grady and Bri were childhood, high school sweethearts until Bri stumbled and let others mistakes get in the way of what could have been a happily ever after for her and Grady. Fortunately, fate had other plans, giving them the opportunity to right the wrongs.

Read along while these two stumble over past hurts, secrets and jealousy to find what their future has in store for them!

I absolutely loved this story. It was sweet and refreshing and gives the reader a bit of hope. It was all around a feel good read for me. I found myself almost crying at certain points and then spinning around smiling and even laughing out loud while reading. I was able to hit a wide variety of emotions during this story. Readers who enjoy a little bit of sex in their stories will enjoy this as that was not overdone and had just the right amount of heat.

Pleased with this read, I am giving it a good 5 stars.

About Jennifer:

From the Ground Up was Jennifer’s first published novel and now that she was bitten by the writing bug, has no intention of ever stopping. Jennifer makes her home in small town Iowa with her high school sweetheart, three beautiful, hilarious and amazing kids, one crazy Jack Russell terrier. This is where her love for all things reading, baking, and cooking happen. Jennifer’s family enjoys camping, boating, and spending time outside as much as possible. You'll be her best friend if you can make her laugh and follow up with asking her what to read next. When she’s not writing, you can find her cheering the loudest at her kids’ sporting events (read as: embarrassing them), sipping coffee or iced tea out of a mason jar with her Kindle in her lap or binging on Netflix.

Connect with Jennifer:

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Lamplight Review and Promotion

“Corinne Michaels and Melanie Harlow are a match made in heaven. Five-Sweet-Stars for this unforgettable collaboration!” --A.L. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author

Hold You Close, an all-new second chance standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Corinne Michaels and USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is available now!

Waiting for Her, an all-new emotional, standalone second chance romance from Jennifer Van Wyk is available NOW!

STOLEN OBSESSION

AVAILABLE NOW (#FREE with #KindleUnlimited!):

SYNOPSIS:

Excerpt:

A second later, he was beside her, his Zavos gaze in desire mode. “You’d do that for me?”

“I should’ve checked you before now. Stop me the next time I become too self-involved. Lift the shirt.”

Alec grimaced and pulled the long-sleeved tee over his head, exposing a dark patch of glistening chest hair. An extremely broad chest. All muscled up like guys who work out. Damn Sam, he’s gorgeous.

His hypnotic aroma engulfed her with creamy heat.

“We’ll watch the swelling. Having been in battle with metal and gunpowder, I expected worse. I’d find something waterproof to put over it in the shower. Like a liquid bandage. And finish all of your antibiotics even if you feel better.” His skin was smooth under her fingertips.

“I’ll do that, Dr. Drury. Thank you.” He glanced at her fingers on his shoulder. “Anything else?”

Annalisse’s face flushed with heat. She jerked her wrist back and balled her hand in her lap. Her mind told her to get some distance from him, but her feet had other ideas.

With his forefinger, he rotated her chin so she’d face him. “It’s just you and me.”

He was far too close. Close enough to kiss his perfectly matched, parted lips. God. Being next to him like this…it was too soon. His wonderful mother as her mother-in law…quit! She shuddered.

“Are you afraid of me?” His question came disguised in a throaty growl.

She clenched her jaw, afraid what he’d say to the truth.

He took her hand and flattened her palm to his chest. “I want you to trust me.”

She opened her mouth, but couldn’t speak.

“I’ll take that as a maybe.” One side of his mouth lifted into a sly smile.

Annalisse slipped her hand from his and drew back from no-return territory. “I’ll get your shirt.” She jumped for his polo at the end of the chaise and wobbled backward, grabbing the edge of the seat.

Alec caught her waist with one arm. “Gotcha.”

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