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Vacant Hearts by D.J. Larkin


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Checking Him Out


Debbie McGowan - 2014
    He and Elise have been in Boston for eight years, he loves her, and she loves him. They’ve got a great apartment that’s kept its value, they’re both up for promotion, and he can hook up with any guy he likes—all the sex he wants, so long as it’s of the “no strings” variety. And that’s all fine and dandy… until a chance meeting at the checkout. * * * “This isn’t a fluffy m/m filled with stupid misunderstandings…this is a book about the cost of being truly grown up; not in a YA coming of age, but in a turning over a whole new chapter way, complete with love and loss. Excellent read.” “…wonderful and refreshing and just laugh out loud funny at times.” “A powerfully written, life changing book. A beautiful read.” * * * WARNING: this story contains sex acts between consenting male adults. * * * Also in this series: Checking Him Out For the Holidays - a Hanukkah/Christmas novella. Hiding Out - a Hiding Behind The Couch / Checking Him Out crossover novella.* * * * * * First published as part of the Love's Landscapes Anthology (DRiTC 2014, MMRomanceGroup.com), based on the prompt: Dear Author, When I met the love of my new life (his words not mine…ass), I was simply waiting in the checkout line. I might have been caught up in a conversation with my best friend/wife of X amount of years about something, I can’t remember at the moment. So anyway, we were distracted and didn’t notice that the line had moved. So after maybe 30 seconds, or a minute at the most (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t that long), Mr. Impatient, with an accent like that character on The Originals (not that I watch that show at my age), got our attention in the rudest way in my opinion, or in my wife’s heart-of-a-ho opinion, the kindest way possible for our insensitive asses. I’m pretty sure his accent, mixed with his damn charm, got him out of more trouble than it should. We had a rough start, but we had quiet moments when we weren’t all over each other or fighting, in and out of bed. Anyway, I would love a story about our first year. P.S. I want a story with interesting secondary characters interacting with the main characters. I want it to be known that the marriage is a *lavender marriage—no one is being fooled here. I want humor mixed in with hot-damn, slightly overwhelming sex. Alpha males with a bad case of the giggles at inappropriate moments. No BDSM please. One other request is that I wish the main characters to be in the age range of late twenties to early thirties. *A lavender marriage is a “beard” marriage of convenience. Sincerely, T

Peakview Series Box Set: Books 1-4


Jill Haymaker - 2019
    Jill Haymaker had bundled the first four books in her Peakview series. In book one, we arrive in Peakview with June Meyers as she looks for a new start in life and finds romance with the handsome widower, Jeff Walker, at his Walker Horse Ranch. In book two, Violet Woods, the owner of the town's café and self-appointed match-maker finds her own second chance at romance with Howard Crandall, the local mechanic. Although Violet is great at finding the perfect match for everyone else, can she find a happy ending for herself? In book three, we go back to Walker Ranch, where the handsome young cowboy, Luke Walker, is forced to confront his feelings when his high school sweetheart, Penny Anderson, returns for the summer. Having just finished college, Penny can't deny the feelings she still has for Luke, but can Peakview County provide a career for her? She's not willing to give up everything she's worked so hard to achieve. And finally in book four, Howard's daughter, Melanie Gentry, moves to Peakview to give herself and her daughter the chance to get to know the father she never knew. Little did she know, that she'd also have a chance at love with the dashing cowboy, Hank Dalton. Add a foster child and a rescue dog into the mix, and sparks are sure to fly. Can they all create a home and a family? Come home to Peakview, Colorado, where everyone has a chance at love.

Chasing the Wild Sparks


Ren Alexander - 2013
    Just ask Hadley Beckett.Marriage. Even the mention of the word drives my nuptial-phobic, love-of-my-life boyfriend of three years, Finn Wilder, who is also Richmond’s sexy, golden boy sportscaster and daredevil, to the brink of total madness. Even though the daredevil thrives on adrenaline and danger and eagerly professes his love for me, becoming my husband is a dare he always eludes. What’s more, Finn Wilder is single, according to his coworkers and viewers—Finnatics—as they’re called. I don’t exist.Despite his marriage fears and questionable relationship status, Finn increasingly pressures me to move in with him, but being unusually traditional by today’s standards, I want to be married first, adhering to my moral beliefs, just as he desperately clings to his own religious upbringing regarding starting a family with me. Something he wants no part of either.As much as I love Finn, I’ve reached my limit with the lies, secrets, and his reluctance. Something has got to give. We’re forever at a standstill, a faceoff which one of us will lose. Everything.

A SEAL's Seduction


Tawny Weber - 2013
    Checked. Rechecked. But when a mission ends badly, his entire team is ordered on leave. And that's when Blake sees the tall redhead whose dark eyes suggest that the rules-especially those in bed-are made to be broken. Scientist Alexia Lane has sex on the brain-partly for work, but mostly because she needs a man who makes her girly parts do the happy dance. Her only no-no? No military dudes. But Blake's rockin' bod promises delicious pleasures, and Alexia is halfway to sexual Nirvana before she can find out he's actually a Navy SEAL. And where one rule is broken, more are sure to follow.... Uniformly Hot! The Few. The Proud. The Sexy as Hell!

Been Loving You Too Long


Chasity Bowlin - 2013
    The granddaughter of the family’s housekeeper, she’s worshipped Vincent DuChamps from afar--the ever unattainable prince in her fairy tale dreams. Little does she know that Vincent harbors his own secret feelings for her, but other darker secrets that he sees as an insurmountable obstacle to ever being the man she deserves, have prompted him to avoid her altogether. When Thomas, the family patriarch dies, his will bears some unpleasant surprises for them both. Thomas wants nothing more than for Vincent and his siblings to be happy, and in his final act as the only father figure they’ve ever had, engineers a series of contingencies in his will that require them each to face their demons. Only too aware of what Vincent really feels for Ophelia, Thomas creates a situation that will force Vincent to confront his feelings. Unless, Vincent and Ophelia marry, Vincent and his siblings will lose everything, including the family business. Forced into such close proximity, denying their attraction for one another becomes impossible. But even as they grow closer, other threats to the future of DuChamps Hotels and all that Vincent holds dear threaten to destroy their burgeoning relationship. Ophelia has played it safe her whole life. Taking a risk on Vincent is a frightening prospect. Will it be worth it, or will his secrets break both their hearts?

Roomie Wars


Kat T. Masen - 2016
    Who said you had to be married with a fabulous career and three kids? I had a great life. Single, freedom to do whatever I please, and best of all, stay home on a Friday night in my sweats, eating pizza while listening to the best of the ’80s. I’m fine. DrewWhen a woman says she’s fine, she’s not fine. Zoey had it all. Stunning looks, ambition, the whole package. Then he fucked her up. He broke her. And now I’m left picking up the pieces… again. Zoey Richards, strong-willed and driven, settled on the geeky struggling med student to share her apartment with, not the perfect-in-every-way stud who would just distract her and undoubtedly break her heart. When her ex comes back into the picture, Zoey seeks revenge and enlists her roommate’s help. All Zoey and Drew need to do is pretend to be a couple for one night. But one night can change everything. Refusing to break their “roomie code,” and in an effort to deny their feelings for each other, a war erupts between Zoey and Drew. She lives in the past; he, for the future. If opposites attract, will these two gamble their friendship for a chance at love?

Scandal and Sin


Lynn LaFleur - 2010
    During the tour of the old house that she wants to renovate, that lust takes over when Alaina falls on a broken step, right into his arms. Sex is hard and fast, and he imagines a lot more of it—until she tells him she’s the sister of the woman who humiliated him in front of the entire town three years ago.Rye accepts the remodeling job, but refuses to have anything personal to do with Alaina. He can’t be sure she won’t treat him like her sister did. But Alaina is determined to convince Rye she’s nothing like her sister. A picnic meant to thank him for his hard work turns into the first of many nights of lovemaking.A murder from seventy-five years ago, a ghost in the old house and a modern-day man determined to stop the remodeling threaten the blossoming love between Rye and Alaina.

Emerge


S.E. Hall - 2013
    And though change is an inevitable, scary part of life, just lying in wait around the corners and milestones you thought you had a lock on, there's no way I could've known just how much change, that would never change back, I was driving right toward. But... by shutting the door to my old life, the door to my new one opened- and in strolled Dane Kendrick, awakening the wildest of dreams, delights, and desires, that I never even knew slept inside me. And now, it's time to let the real Laney Jo Walker emerge.Evolve & Full Circle Series suggested reading order:*Emerge*Embrace*Entangled*Entice*Sawyer Beckett's Baby Mama Drama Guide for Dummies*Endure*Sawyer Beckett's Guide for Tools Looking to Date My Daughter*Entwined*Embody (Full Circle Series/Spinoff from Evolve Series Book One)*A Crew Christmas*Elusive (Full Circle Series/Princess Presley Duet Book One)*Exclusive (Full Circle Series/Princess Presley Duet Book Two)

After Tuesday


Renee Ericson - 2013
    For the last two years, high school senior Ruby has been her own rock and solace. She has learned to depend only on herself and hides her family's issues by keeping herself somewhat unnoticeable. Despite her isolation, Ruby has intrigued the affections of someone unexpected. Finding herself loving life once again as his persistence sparks a romance awakening a well-protected heart. While Ruby’s relationship with her father is constantly teetering, her new-found affection continues to blossom into something more than she ever thought possible. Soon, Ruby comes to realize that opening up your heart means being susceptible to love and disappointment.YA-M: This book contains mature content including profanity, drug/alcohol use, and sexual situations/language.

The Haunting


Nicole Garcia - 2014
    Six people will enter the contest, but not everyone will win. In fact, there can only be one winner. A drug dealer, an exotic dancer, a drug addict, an entrepreneur, a district attorney, and a rich kid, are all desperate in some way. Whether they need the money, or are looking for something different and need a break from their boring everyday life. It may seem that these contestants have nothing in common, but that's not the case. They have one very important thing in common, their desperation to win the prize . But, winning the money is going to be anything but easy. Not only will they have to spend a full twenty-four hours together in a haunted mansion, but they will have to overcome their weaknesses and make alliances with their competitors just to survive. The many people who have visited Waverly Mansion have gone missing and never returned home to their loved ones. Are these contestants so desperate that they would risk their lives just to win money? A million dollars can mean the difference between life and death to some people, but there are many questions you need to ask yourself. Is the money worth the torment and anguish you will have to endure in order to win? What about your life? Is dying the price you are willing to pay in order to win that amount of money? Can these people survive long enough to claim their prize? Or will their desperation take hold of them and sabotage the other's chances at winning the game? Who deserves to win the money when no one is really the person they appear to be?

Lost in Distraction


B.J. Harvey - 2013
    A sexy stranger paid to protect her. Alone and shut off from the world, Elise Halliwell is simply going through the motions, waiting for the next step in her pre-destined life. Until a chance meeting with the dark-haired, blue-eyed Brax James shakes her to the core, achieving what everyone else before him has failed to do; he makes her feel again. As much as Brax wishes things were different, fate has not brought him into Elise’s life. His job is to keep her safe, not fall for the very woman he’s supposed to protect. Elise has no idea of the threat she faces and Brax wants it to stay that way. Unfortunately for both of them, they’ll have no say in the matter. Full of twists, turns, and revelations no-one sees coming, you won’t be the only one lost in distraction.*This book contains adult situations and explicit content/language.*

Hope Breaks


Alice Bello - 2013
    She has until the end of the week to come up with a breathtaking shot or she’ll be replaced. And there’s a sudden model shortage; they’re out of season.The old, depressing problem: she hasn’t had a date, sex or a relationship in over two years.She also has one hell of a headache.Hope finds the cures for her two problems during a search through Wal-Mart for a painkiller to kill her headache.Turns out the aisles of the retail giant are rampant with hot young model worthy specimens. And when her trusty Ford Taurus breaks down in the parking lot, a hunky mechanic in the Tire and Lube Express department fixes more than just her car.Seemingly her troubles are good as gone…but then her new, fabulous cover is rejected, and in a desperate moment she has to choose between keeping her job and keeping the man she’s just starting to fall in love with.

The Black Chapel


Marilyn Cruise - 2013
    One night, the handsome billionaire Michael Manning visits the club and shows interest in Samantha (Scarlett’s stage name). Scarlett is immediately attracted to Michael, but she refuses to date anyone she meets at the club. On Sunday, Scarlett’s friend drags her to church, and to her surprise, Scarlett meets Michael again. He doesn’t realize she’s Samantha from last night and asks her out. But Scarlett would never have guessed what he’s about to propose on their first date. Michael needs to marry before his mother dies of cancer, or he’ll lose his entire inheritance. He presents Scarlett with a deal where she’ll receive half of the inheritance if she marries him within two weeks and divorces him after his mother dies. Scarlett agrees to the deal. But soon she develops feelings for Michael and they begin a steamy affair. Serious problems arise when Michael continues to show interest in Samantha, thinking he’s keeping it a secret from Scarlett. And when Scarlett’s pretend mother-in-law has her followed to work, Scarlett’s secret could very well cost her the billion dollar deal and her relationship with Michael.

Craving


Helen Hardt - 2016
    Her humiliation still ripe, she doesn't expect to be attracted to her friend’s reticent brother, but when the gorgeous cowboy kisses her, all bets are off.Talon Steel is broken. Having never fully healed from a horrific childhood trauma, he simply exists, taking from women what is offered and giving nothing in return...until Jade Roberts catapults into his life. She is beautiful, sweet, and giving, and his desire for her becomes a craving he fears he'll never be able to satisfy.Passion sizzles between the two lovers...but long-buried secrets haunt them both and may eventually tear them apart.

The Space Between


Victoria H. Smith - 2013
    Losing high-stakes poker has its consequences, but he’d repeatedly face them just to hear Lacey Douglas sing. Drake sees Lacey light up the stage, and he has to have her. But his intentions for being on her side of town turn out to be the reason he can’t. Chicago native Lacey has dreams of the opera, but life has its obstacles. Lacey has come to know her hardships as part of living in the real world and accepts them fully. When Lacey meets the intense and invigorating Drake, a fire is lit inside her, unleashing those dreams again.Two paths that should have never crossed prove to create the exact pairing the other needs. But when their worlds take time to catch up, everything they have is tested. Finding the space between the two sides that challenge them will be hard, but it’s the only place that will keep them together.The Space Between is a new adult contemporary romance.