If you’re looking for quick, one-handed (ahem) reads with insta-love, over-the-top alpha, blue-collar men, then the trope-alicious Working Men series is for you! The Mechanic Lily I grew up with everything I ever wanted. Wealth and privilege, and an attitude that practically screamed “I’m better than you”. Only, things went wrong and now I have nothing. The people in this town don’t give a damn that I live in a broken-down trailer and am one sandwich away from starving. They figure I got what I deserve. They’re not wrong. Now, I’m standing in front of the town’s sexy-as-sin mechanic, Jack Williams, and offering to let him… do things to me with those big, dirty hands of his, in exchange for car repairs. Things that the old me would be horrified by. I should be ashamed. Instead, all I can think about is how good it would feel to have Jack touch me. Jack I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Raised by a man who liked to talk to me with his fists and didn’t give a damn if I lived or died. Taking care of myself is my number one priority, and I’m not interested in other people’s troubles. Especially trouble in the form of a stuck-up, former rich girl like Lily Carson. It’s not my problem her money, family and friends are gone. Only, she’s standing in my repair shop offering me something I’ve wanted for a very long time. One touch of her soft skin and I’m lost. Lily belongs to me now, and I’ll make damn sure she and everyone else in this town knows it. The Carpenter Madison He says it’s wrong. He says we can’t be together. But I’ve been in love with carpenter, Jacob Marken, for years and I’m tired of waiting. I don’t care about the age difference. I’m doing everything in my power to make Jacob see that we belong together. I want to be with him. And what I want, I get. Jacob She’s a temptation I need to resist. Before my best friend died, I promised I would take care of Madison, not try to take her to my bed. When Madison asks me to build her some bookshelves, I can’t resist. Being alone with her is a very bad idea. I can’t be with her. I shouldn’t be with her. But what Madison wants, Madison gets. And now that she’s mine, I’m never letting her go. The Bartender Rachel Being a twenty-three-year-old virgin isn’t the worse thing in the world. Being a twenty-three-year-old virgin in love with a man who doesn’t know I exist? Tragic, right? Local bartender, Ren Parker, might not be into librarians with questionable fashion taste, but it doesn’t stop me from fantasizing about getting him alone in the library and breaking all the rules about quiet time. But, a girl’s gotta be realistic, and I can’t stay a virgin forever. Picking up a nice guy at the bar to take my v-card is surprisingly easy. That is, until Ren discovers what I’m doing. Suddenly, the man I thought wouldn’t give me the time of day, has his hands all over me until my insides are shaken and stirred. He says my virginity belongs to him and I’m more than happy to prove him right. Ren I’ve wanted Rachel Banks from the moment I saw her.

    Craven. A psychopath takes Trick or Treating a step too far. And a woman's dream of a quiet life is shattered by a knock on the door.Afraid Of The Shadows is a collection of gripping- sometimes funny, always spooky- short stories from some of the biggest names in crime fiction.From possessed sweaters to creepy wardrobes and disco shape shifters, there’s something for everyone in this Halloween bucket of short story goodies making it the perfect companion to snuggle up with as the nights draw in. Though be warned, you might want to leave the lights on...****************************************************************CONTRIBUTORSAfraid Of The Shadows is brought to you by twenty bestselling crime and thriller writers who between them have topped the Sunday Times and Amazon charts, won the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger Award, Gold Dagger Award and New Blood Dagger Award, the Bath Novel Award, the UK National Book Awards and the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award.Special guests:M.W. CravenPeter JamesT.M. LoganMatt WesolowskiTrevor WoodRachael BlokElle Croft (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Heather CritchlowJames Delargy (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Clare EmpsonJo FurnissT.E. KinseyN.J. MackayS.R. MastersPhoebe MorganDominic Nolan (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Robert Scragg (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Victoria Selman (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Kate SimantsAdam Southward (Longlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)****************************************************************Profits from the sale of Afraid Of The Shadows will be donated to the Barnardo's Children in Crisis Covid AppealThis delivers practical and emotional support to vulnerable children caught in a downward spiral of deprivation as a result of the coronavirus crisis.Children and families across the UK are increasingly in or on the brink of poverty as a result of coronavirus.The impact of the second wave is pushing a generation of the most vulnerable children into a downward spiral of deprivation. With your support Barnardo’s can deliver the practical and emotional support families in crisis need.

     A MICHAELMAS WAGER Rufus Lovell has been thrust unexpectedly into riches with nothing too big to gamble on – even marriage. So when a tipsy party joke becomes a wager on Rufus’ marriage, he knows he should said no. But Juliana Honeyfield, the unwitting and unknowing focus of the gamble, is not the simple and malleable young woman that Rufus’ friends take her for. Will it be possible for Rufus to charm the winning Juliana or does he owe her the truth about his initial interest in her? A CHRISTMAS SURPRISE Every year for thirty years Lord Robert, the Viscount of Marchwood, throws a Christmas Ball. But this year the Marchwood Christmas Ball holds extra importance as his daughter, Lady Audrey, has just turned 18 and it is time for her coming out. With the Marchwood family fortune all but gone, Lord Robert is keen to secure her a prosperous match. But when a handsome, masked stranger threatens to steal Audrey’s heart, will it prove to be a good or bad Christmas Surprise. A VALENTINE’S SECRET Jonathan Brodie, the only son of Sir Roger and Lady Brodie, has lived in the village of Maplebridge his whole life. Penelope, the daughter of the local florist, was adopted by the Baldwins when she was just a baby. They could not be more different and yet, one blustery January morning, their paths collide in a chance encounter that is destined to change their lives forever… A JUNE WEDDING Victoria Walsingham’s heart will only ever belong to Isaac Quinn, the son of the Duke of Daventry, but their opposing social standings force them apart. However, when her brother unexpectedly inherits the title of the Earl of Cheshire, Victoria’s life is transformed and she is thrown into high-society. But when Victoria finally returns home in the hope of reconciling with Isaac, an invitation is waiting for her to the wedding of Mr Isaac Quinn and a Miss Hestia Royce. With time running out, will Victoria ever get her happy ending? A HARVEST PASSION When teacher Leo Tyndale moves to the small English town of Sandercombe after five years in India, he does not expect that his time at the local school will be a long one. But a brief encounter with the beautiful – and fiercely independent – Hestia Royce soon has him changing his mind. But Hestia is an outcast in the town after leaving Sandercombe a year ago to be married, only to return without a husband to a place abuzz with speculation. Will they ever be able to admit their feelings for each other? Or will society deny them their happily ever after? *** Each of these books are sweet Regency romances with happily ever afters and no cliffhangers.

    1. Shadow DescendantNaomi Feldman has never understood the strange energy that hums beneath her senses. But when she comes across an ancient artifact that seems to beckon to her, she may finally find the answers she's been seeking...2. Marked DescendantWhen their former allies turn against them, Naomi and Alaric are forced to go on the run, towards a showdown that will put Naomi's newfound powers--and their relationship--to the test...3. Dark DescendantBianca Ibano wants nothing to do with her magical heritage. On the run from her dangerous and powerful family, she's determined to forge her own path. But when a group of vicious vampires threaten her peaceful existence, she must make a choice--run, or fight.1.5. Winter's Fire (a novella)When Casimir and Fiona meet by chance on a wintry street in Prague, desire and duty collide. Will they give in to their pull of attraction--or will duty keep them apart?

    The Billionaire's Fake Girlfriend - Part 1 The Billionaire's Fake Girlfriend - Part 2 The Billionaire's Fake Girlfriend - Part 3Rebecca is an aspiring actress. While at a fancy cocktail party, the socialites begin to pick on her. And that’s when she claims she’s dating the billionaire host of the party. When he goes along with it, Rebecca is in shock. And when this billionaire offers her a proposition she can’t say no to, she dives straight in.

    It’s their turn. First off, it at long last solves the enigma of Abigail’s first husband Joel Sutton’s disappearance, and death, a decade before…the tragic event that sent Abigail to Spookie in the first place to begin a new life. The new life that would grow so big as to include a new love, a new family, quirky, but well-meaning friends, and the strange murder mysteries her new friends would drag her into over the years. As an unsolicited, and unwanted, envelope arrives from Abigail’s now dead detective she’d hired a decade before to find her missing first husband, its contents sends Frank searching for the truth. The envelope’s files are full of disturbing facts concerning the unsolved crime and it piques Frank’s interest. Soon, against Abby’s wishes, he’s on the cold trail of what actually happened to Joel Sutton–had he been a victim of just an accident, as some have always believed, or did someone murder him? In his search for the truth, Frank ends up in lethal danger when the investigation comes to a violent conclusion. This story is also about an infamous haunted house at 707 Suncrest, in the woods; about the cold blooded murders of a whole family that occurred there forty years before. Is the house on Suncrest truly haunted by the ghosts of the dead family? Is it dangerous? When Abby decides to paint a series of canvases of the spooky old house, she’ll find out. Then along with those two new mysteries to unravel, of course, all of Spookie’s quirky town characters have returned to irritate, amuse and sleuth with Abby and Frank. Will they get out of these new mysteries alive, too? Perhaps.

    Hannah Tandy moves to the small town of Harpersville, Georgia after losing her husband to a drunk driver and soon realizes there's something paranormal going on in her antebellum home. She feels deeply connected to three teenagers who disappeared more than one hundred years before and finds herself drawn into their lives and does everything she can to get to the bottom of their story. Along the way she makes a new life for herself and finds that the townspeople are just as intrigued. Her new home town wants nothing more than to find closure for their lost youths. Where will the eerie footsteps heard in her attic lead her?

    Seven sizzling science-fiction romance novels!If you loved Star Wars and Firefly, but wanted way more romance, this is the series for you.This massive bundle contains all seven novels in the Mandrake Company series:Mercenary InstinctTrial and TemptationThe Assassin’s SalvationThe Ruins of KarzelekMercenary CourageThe Pirate Captain’s DaughterThe Tracker’s DilemmaBonus Novella: QuashiPick it up, and start reading now!

     TEASING THE BOSS Simon West, the best business consultant in NYC, and Grace Bell, the best party planner in NYC (she prefers event coordinator), have their goals within reach. All they have to do is pretend to love each other. TEMPTING THE BOSS CEO Victoria Green isn't used to asking for help, but handyman Dean might be the only one in the city who can keep her alive. If only they could manage to keep their hands off each other in the process....

    Each novel will transport you across oceans and back in time. A Greater World takes you to the beautiful Blue Mountains of Australia in the 1920s. Kurinji Flowers to the tea plantations of Southern India in the 1930s and 40s - the last years of British colonial rule. Letters from a Patchwork Quilt to the ugly industrial north of Victorian England and to St Louis, Missouri. None of the characters went where they had to go by choice, and all faced life–changing challenges. Can love make the difference? Will it stand the course? Warning – once you start reading you will be up all night.

    USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne brings you the first Paramour Bay Mysteries boxset that includes cozy tales of magical tea blends and bewitching characters! This enchanting boxset includes the first three books in the Paramour Bay Mysteries: Magical Blend Bewitching Blend Enchanting Blend So brew yourself up a cup of tea and dive into a world of magical chaos!

    And he is starting with Natalie, his enemy's precious daughter... But once he begins his cruel game, Natalie’s kindness starts to win him over. What if he comes to love the woman he’s plotting to ruin? "Alex Damon is one sinfully sexy boss I'd love to have!" -- The Consummate Reader The Billionaire's Pursuit Running into each other years after the steamy night they shared, Kerri and billionaire playboy Ethan can't resist entering a deal for a temporary affair. Her past threatens to make her run again, but he refuses to let her go a second time... The Billionaire's Baby When Amandine finds out she's pregnant, she decides to leave her irresistible billionaire husband Gavin, who's given her everything but his heart. But he isn't about to let go of the only woman he's ever loved without a fight. If Amandine and Gavin can't overcome their pride and fears, they'll have to let go of each other forever... The Millionaire's Crush Pete’s been in love with his sister's best friend since forever. He's worked years to make sure he will be worthy of her, and he isn't waiting any longer. It's about time to show her the life they can have and that forbidden fruit can be the sweetest and most satisfying. The Billionaire's Secret Blaine Davis, illegitimate son of a womanizing billionaire, has been avoiding his hateful father all his life. When worldly socialite Catherine Fairchild shows up on his doorstep, he's suspicious, but can't stay away from the most intriguing woman he's ever met. Can their attraction withstand Catherine's secret? The Billionaire's Scandal When single mom Meredith meets her best friend's older brother and long-time crush Daniel over business, their attraction sizzles. But when a shadowy enemy makes a deadly move, Meredith must reveal a devastating truth that could tear her family apart and cost her the only man she's ever loved...

    Includes all four books: Lucas, Alex, Jake and Jake2. Band of Bachelors: Lucas Special Operator Lucas Shipley thought his living arrangement was temporary, since getting booted from the house by his wife. He sleeps on a couch in the apartment with four other divorced Navy SEALs, thinking he’ll get the call to come home any day. He ignores the not-so-helpful advice his buddies are giving him about marriage, women and romance. Until he gets served with divorce papers. Realtor Marcy Gelland is hired by Lucas’ soon-to-be ex-wife to liquidate all their real estate holdings and help her orchestrate a speedy departure from Lucas’ life. Based on what the hot-headed SEAL wife has told her, Marcy understands Lucas deserves every ounce of pain coming his way. But when Marcy and Lucas are left alone together in a remote Northern California woods, they ignite a personal bonfire that threatens to burn down the whole forest. Marcy is forced to see she is wrong about Lucas. Amidst the backdrop of hardened bachelor SEALs with their unsolicited, anti-long-term relationship advice, and a terrorist training camp operating nearby, Lucas must do what he’s always done: be the hero and save the day. But will it be in time to save Marcy? Band of Bachelors: Alex Adrenaline junkie and Navy SEAL Alex Kowicki is one of four bachelor SEALs trying to navigate his successful military career while achieving his goals as a first class connoisseur of beautiful women. He isn’t ready to jump back into anything but his free falls, HALO drops or his missions overseas. He trusts his buddies to fix him up with another blind date that won’t be as dangerous as his last ones. But Sydney Robinson has other plans. A beach volleyball player who can spike better than most men, and block with explosive speed to defend her side of the net, she executes a series of events to include stalking the handsome SEAL all the way to Sonoma County wine country, and delivering his carcass to her bed. Having achieved her first goal, she sets about to become a pro AVP player. When duty calls and Alex is pulled back to Iraq to complete a failed mission, neither expects to find that the real danger is lurking very much close to home. But this fight might cost one of them their lives. Band of Bachelors: Jake Navy SEAL Jake Green wakes up in the Honeymoon Suite at the Desert Oasis Motel in Las Vegas and can’t remember how he got there. But that’s not the only thing he doesn’t remember. A bachelor, his left hand now sports a gold wedding ring. Band of Bachelors: Jake2 Navy SEAL Jake Green comes home from deployment to a family in turmoil. With the recent death of his father, his ex-wives, mother and brother are thrown into a snakepit left by his father’s poor choices. Jake and Ginger attempt to strengthen their marriage and young family amidst a dangerous deployment to Baja California. Jake’s got alimony and child support, a blown up will he’s the executor of, illegitimate siblings and a Mexican General gunning for him. It’s one thing to come home in one piece from a SEAL mission. But which mission is more dangerous?

    

    When their paths collide three years later, will she find herself in the arms of the gorgeous CEO of Steele Security at last?Book #2: Wicked TiesColton “Bull” Lanier thought he had his life all figured out. His trust was hard-earned. He let no one see the man inside. He didn’t believe in love and he didn’t get involved. That is until she walked into his life.Book #3: Wicked NightsAn unknown danger lurked in the distance, and a family’s hope began to fade into despair. Just when everything in life appeared to be perfect, will the family of Steele Security be prepared for the approaching wicked nights?Book #4: Wicked IntentionsOne man’s breaking point is where another man finds his stride.Book #5: Wicked ShadowsMeet Devon "Shadow" Kane--the elusive assassin, the covert spy, the man in love.Dangerous. Deadly. Protective. Alpha. Sexy.And way past merely pissed off.He's on a mission, facing the highest stakes of his career.Bonus short: Wicked Weekend