Back in Black by Julie Ann Walker Blog Tour

A secret identity mixed in with forced proximity on top of red-hot chemistry? What could go wrong?

The Black Knights are back and better than ever!

FBI agent Grace Beacham is on the run. After an operation to bring down a Russian disinformation campaign goes sideways and ends in her partner’s death, the Kremlin has sent its most notorious assassin to kill her. Not knowing who to trust inside the Bureau, Grace is forced to call on the one man who might be able to save her. The one man she hasn’t been able to forget.

BKI operative Hunter Jackson walked away from Grace Beacham three years ago. And he hasn’t looked back. But when his cell phone suddenly jangles to life with Grace on the other end begging for his help, he doesn’t hesitate to ride to her rescue.

Grace is no stranger to men like Hunter. Men who are devastatingly attractive and in love with their perilous professions and no-strings-attached lifestyles. As the two of them go off-grid to uncover the truth behind what happened on her last assignment, she fears her life might not be the only thing on the line. With Hunter, her heart could be in danger too.

 

 

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
I have read a few of the original Black Knights and now I need to go back and read the rest of that series.

Grace Beacham is an FBI agent and after her partner is killed, she is the one that her fellow agents are after for his murder. While on the run, she is trying to figure out who could help her and comes up with one name. That name is Hunter Jackson, a BKI operative who walked away from her three years ago. Once Grace explains what is going on, Hunter has no problem bringing in the BKI team to help her out.

While on the run, there will be feelings they need to deal with, or will they forget them altogether? I really enjoyed this story. It was filled with suspense and intrigue from the very beginning and will keep you guessing who was behind the killing of Grace's partner and why they are after her.

I cannot wait for more and I highly recommend this one and I hope you enjoy it too.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This may be book one of BKI: Reloaded, but if you have not read the Black Knights books already, please do yourself a huge favour and go back to the start. They are all fantabulous reads and will set you right up for this one!

Hunter has been a favourite of mine for a while, so I am so happy that he got his story told. Be prepared for some pretty mind-blowing events – both of the very, very good kind, and most definitely of the less good kind too. Fans know going in that the Black Knights are the very best at keeping people safe, but that the body count can rack up – mix that in with an FBI agent being hunted by a Russian assassin and you can only imagine the crazy!

Grace was just the perfect foil for Hunter, and I loved that she could bring to him a family to add to the BKI one that he belongs to already.

Great to catch up with the crew, to have some fun and some suggestions as to who is next going to find their future happiness!


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Action Romance

Grace is a FBI agent who has found herself entangled in a conspiracy. With not knowing who to trust, she calls the one person from her past she has never forgotten. Hunter.

Hunter is an alpha male who loves his job, but has always wondered what might have been with the beauty from before.

These two will have to outsmart an assassin, a government official, and fight for both their lives and love.

I really enjoyed the heroine and the hero – they are both strong in their own way and bring out the best in each other. Their friends are fantastic, and I can't wait for more.

 

 

JULIE ANN WALKER is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning romantic suspense. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award. Her books have been described as "alpha, edgy, and downright hot." Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Connect with Julie Ann Walker

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Back in Black (Black Knights Inc: Reloaded #1) by Julie Ann Walker to read and review.

Cover Reveal – Infamous Park Avenue Prince by Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine

Who are we? Like you even need to ask. We’re the seven richer-than-sin legacies causing debauchery at the prestigious Astor University in Manhattan.
Some call us spoiled.
Some call us trouble.
But everyone calls us the Park Avenue Princes.

Weston LaRue
“The Playboy”

I’m never one to turn down a bet. Especially not when it comes to retaliating against the dean for pulling a dick move before summer break.
So when the dean’s golden child arrives at Astor for his freshman year, my fellow troublemakers throw down a wager I can’t resist.

The target: the dean’s son, John Thomas Hawthorne, or “JT.”
The bet: corruption in any way I choose.

It should’ve been easy. With his mess of brown curls, pouty lips, and good-boy reputation, JT is the perfect revenge. And even better? He’s straight.

Challenge accepted. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove a point, no matter how reckless it might be.

Game. On.

Infamous Park Avenue Prince is the first standalone novel in the Park Avenue Princes world.

 

 

Cover Designer: Hang Le
Photographer: Ren Saliba

RELEASES SEPTEMBER 21, 2023
Book 1
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~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

CHAPTER 6

 ~ JT ~

The best thing about Astor so far? The high-end coffee bar conveniently located between classes. As I stood in line, I read over the specials menu, which featured drinks I’d never even heard of. Blueberry matcha latte? Espresso and tonic? Eh, I wasn’t quite that adventurous, though something called a cereal milk cappuccino piqued my interest. Whatever had caffeine and tasted decent was good enough for me.

I checked the time on my phone and moved with the line, getting closer to the counter but not by much. Still, I could afford to wait a few more minutes.

“So let me guess. White mocha frappuccino?”

My head shot up to see West’s lazy grin as he sidled in beside me. I glanced behind him to the glares his cutting in line had earned, but he only crossed his arms over his chest and studied the menu board.

“There’s a line for a reason,” I said pointedly, pocketing my cell.

“A line?” West’s nose wrinkled. “Not sure I’m familiar with the term.”

I shook my head. Of course this was new for him. He probably had his coffee delivered in class. “Are you stalking me?”

“What? Two people who go to the same school can’t happen to run into each other from time to time?”

“I’m sure they could, but this feels intentional.”

“Or it’s a double shot kind of day and I saw you standing alone.” West cocked a brow. “Want me to leave?”

I looked around us at all my classmates paired up and in groups and felt that dull pang of loneliness that came with being the new guy. People weren’t exactly lining up to be my best friend, but West didn’t seem to have the “dean’s son” aversion.

“How about this,” I said, as the line moved forward. “Tell me what your deal is and you can stay.”

“Gonna buy my coffee too?”

“You’re the one who lives in the Waldorf Towers. You can buy mine.”

West smirked but nodded. “I like you.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I know enough.”

“In the whole two conversations we’ve had?”

“There are other ways to get to know someone.”

I cocked my head, eyeing him closely, something about that statement sending up warning flags I probably should listen to, but… “What do you mean, ‘other ways’?”

West chuckled, the sound cool, his smile charming. “Relax, JT. It’s not like I’m a stalker or anything.”

“You sound like a stalker.”

“And you sound paranoid. I just meant that I’ve seen you a couple times around the halls, and you’re always alone. You seem like a nice guy, so it can’t be that you’re an ass—”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“All I’m saying is, you look like you could use a friend.”

“And that friend should be you?”

West shrugged and slipped a hand into his pocket. “Could be. I don’t see anyone else lining up. And you know why? Not because of you; it’s because your mother is—”

“The dean. Yeah, I worked that much out myself.”

“Right. But if you’re friends with me”—West leaned in a little closer, and Jesus, the guy even smelled expensive—“everyone will like you.”

I turned my head to make sure he saw how hard I was rolling my eyes but instead found myself staring into his. They were a cool azure blue, like the clearest lake, and seemed to sparkle at me like the sun was reflecting off the water. It was probably one of the many reasons he got away with everything and anything.

Too charming for his own good.

“JT?”

“Huh?”

“I was saying, if you’re friends with me, everyone will like you.”

“Because you’re that likeable?”

“Let’s put it this way—people talk to me for two reasons: they want to be me or want to be friends”—he paused and winked—“or more with me.”

I snorted and shook my head. “Wow, you’re super confident.”

“That comes with having enough money to do whatever the hell I want.”

“And is that what you do? Whatever the hell you want?”

“And who, if I’m lucky.”

 

 

 

ELLA FRANK is the USA Today bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan favorite PresLocke series. Her Prime Time series has been praised as “highly entertaining!” and “sexy as hell!”

A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction.

Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.

Connect with Ella Frank

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Facebook Group: Brooke & Ella's Naughty Umbrella

BROOKE BLAINE is a USA Today bestselling author best known for writing romantic comedy and M/M romance. Her novels lead with humor and heart, but Brooke never shies away from throwing in something extra naughty that will scandalize her conservative Southern family for life (bless their hearts).

She's a choc-o-holic, lives for eighties bands (which means she thinks guyliner is totally underrated), believes it's always wine o'clock, and lives with the coolest cat on the planet—her Ragdoll/Maine Coon mix, Jackson Agador Spartacus.

Connect with Brooke Blaine

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Facebook Group: Brooke & Ella's Naughty Umbrella

 

 

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The Tease by Lauren Blakely Release Blitz

I swear I’m a good girl.

I didn’t go to the exclusive, after-hours masquerade to kiss my dad’s best friend. I didn’t even know who the masked man was when he touched me like I was his every fantasy.

But when I learn exactly how off-limits my new lover is, I do my best to avoid him the next time. Except, he has his sinful sights set on me, even when he discovers who I am. Just one time, he whispers. Then we’ll pretend this never happened.

Seems the enigmatic, gorgeous single dad I’ve known by day is a very dirty man after dark.

But one night turns into a stolen weekend, giving me a taste of so much more. When it ends, we vow to stay apart.

We could never work.

He’s focused on raising his young son, and I can’t let my already damaged family break more. But the caring, possessive man keeps coming back to me, and these secret nights tangled up together are turning into tender moments that make my heart thunder.

And soon, this tease of a forbidden romance is making me want so much more than I can ever have…

 

 

Book 3
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Audiobook (US)  ~  Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆☆
The Tease is the third installment in The Virgin Society series. It can be read as a complete standalone. There are mentions of past couples and situations from the first two books but it doesn't take away from the story's comprehension. But I will definitely be going back to read The Crush, The RSVP, and The Tryst!!

Jules Marley has been dying to get an invite to a very upscale masquerade at an exclusive secret club, The Scene. When one of her friends asks her to fill in and play piano for the night, Jules jumps at the chance. What she doesn't expect is to meet a very handsome masked man. Something about this man makes her feel seen in a way she never has. When her break turns into more than she could have ever wanted, it leaves her wanting so much more.

Finn Adams is finally getting over his divorce and finding out he's the father to a seven-year-old. When he goes to the masquerade party, he isn't expecting much but to talk to a few old friends. He never expects to be drawn to the woman playing piano. After a chance meeting in a dark corner in the library, all bets are off. He has to see her again.

When Jules finds out that her masked man is best friends with her dad, she knows she can't make Finn choose between her and his best friend. She tries to do what she thinks is right, but something is pulling these two together again and again.

This one brought out all the emotions. It was hot and heavy from the beginning, Finn was swoon-worthy, and the heartbreak between a father and daughter still wrapped in their grief. AND I LOVED IT ALL!! I was so invested in Finn and Jules. Finn's need to protect her without overstepping and Jules giving up the guilt she's felt for years. They do end up being perfect for each other.

I can't wait to jump into the rest of the series I have clearly been missing out on!


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of big age gaps where there is a power imbalance, but actually this is not that trope at all – as you will find out! Experience levels being different, even work stage or wealth is fine, and here we get to see how fine they can be!

Jules is keen to play piano at a very select, masked party, so is delighted to fill in for her friend. There she meets someone who awakens her desires and makes her finally want to go all the way – until she realises who he is. But as we know, chemistry can seldom be denied, so against both their better judgement, Finn and Jules decide to work it out of their systems.

As they travel down some complicated connections both due to her father and Finn's investment in the company she works for, we get to see them have to make difficult decisions about whether they can or should have a future together.

This is a sexy, enjoyable read with a few of those eek moments where you are glad you didn't get in that mess, and some big smiles at the fun they are having along the way.

 

 

 

A #1 New York Times bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling, and #1 Audible bestselling author, LAUREN BLAKELY is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good, and witty. She also writes USA Today bestselling LGBTQ romance.

With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists more than 100 times, with more than 65 titles on the USA Today bestsellers list alone. She’s sold more than 5 million books.

A Brown University graduate, Lauren likes dogs, cake, and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party.

Connect with Lauren Blakely

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Facebook Group: Lauren Blakely's Lovelies

 

 

 

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Tease (The Virgin Society #3) by Lauren Blakely to read and review.

Script by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey

Hollywood A-lister Finn might be Canadian, but he needs Cameron to show him how to hockey.

Actor Finn Kerrigan is at a crossroads. After growing up a soap star, then starring in a hugely successful trilogy of action movies, he's finally given the chance to read a heartfelt and passionate script that could change his life forever. The role would be enough for people to see him as a serious actor, and maybe even win him an award or two (and no, a golden raspberry award for his action movies doesn't count). Once established as a serious actor he’s sure he can come out of the closet and finally live his truth. When he lies to get the part of a hockey player on a struggling team, he suddenly has nowhere to hide. He might be Canadian, but the last time he skated he was ten, and no, he doesn't have hockey in his blood. With only a month until filming starts, he about to be exposed, but partnered with a player who’s supposed to be giving him tips, he doesn’t realize how many of his secrets will come to light. Falling in lust, one heated kiss at a time, is inevitable, but giving Cameron up at the end of the shoot could break his heart.

Cameron Chavkin is the face of the L.A. Storm. And the body, and the hair, and the smile. He’s at the prime of his career, men and women want to be with him, and he’s skating better than he ever has before. His house sits next to a famous rock star's mansion, his garage is filled with expensive cars, and he’s even been asked to mentor a once-famous actor in a new hockey movie. Life is pretty sweet. Until the bad boy of hockey meets Finn, a man on the edge with more secrets than Cameron has endorsements. Knowing better than to get involved, Cameron is swept up despite himself, and when it's time to say goodbye to the Storm’s most eligible bachelor is finding it hard to follow the script.

 

 

Book 1
Buy Links

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Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

This excerpt is unedited.

“But you’re Canadian.” Atlas stared at me in shock. “Wait, Vancouver is in Canada, right?” My agent pulled out his cell phone as if he were going to check where in the world my hometown was.

I stopped him. “I am, and it is.” Where did he think it was? South of LA?

His shock turned into bewilderment, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. He’d been my agent since the early days when I was a child actor in a soap and was an uncle-type figure who’d watched me grow up. It was him who’d gotten me a lead in the low-budget Rapid Action from Byrnes-Rose studios, which, after becoming a surprise hit, had spawned two sequels, Rapid Start, and Rapid Recall, and made me a lot of money. And him. In all that time I’d never seen him so confused in all that time.

He had a raft of clients, and was used to having things dumped in his lap, but it seemed I’d finally done something way beyond his understanding.

“But you want to read for the lead in a hockey movie.”

“Uh huh.”

“And you can’t skate.”

I closed two of my fingers together. “A little. I skated when I was younger, but then… acting. I mean, I can stay upright. Or at least I could when I was ten.”

“But don’t all Canadians do the hockey thing? From birth? I mean, I’ve seen videos of teeny tiny Canadian babies skating around with those penguin trainer things.”

I sighed. “Not every Canadian is into hockey, just like not every American is into football.”

Atlas inhaled sharply. “Blasphemy!” And for a moment he waved in front of him as if he were making the sign of a cross—I’d insulted him and the rest of the U.S. in some way. I enjoyed watching football highlights—mostly because of the men in tight pants—but being picked up to star in a soap at ten meant my formative years had been all about the role, the marketing, being a public figure, and not anything to do with funny-shaped balls.

Or pucks.

My life had always been way too filled with other things for me to get into sports.

Unless you counted me getting into Roscoe Lewinsky, the tight end for the LA something or other, because I got into him, and he was tight and just as much in the closet as me.

I snorted a laugh, and Atlas stared at me with a comic-book open mouth and wide eyes, as if I’d lost my damn mind and wasn’t paying attention to his meltdown at all.

He pointed at my chest, turning a dark shade of red. “You told me… you said you could do this…”

“No,” I began with exaggerated patience. “What I said, when I was drunk, I hasten to add, is that as a Canadian it’s my civic duty to be the star of the next Grierson blockbuster featuring the great sport of hockey. That is what I said.”

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆☆
Script is the first book in the L.A. Storm series.

Cameron Chavkin is the face of the L.A. Storm. He may be known as the heart of the team, and women and men would both kill for a night with him. When Finn Kerrigan sits down next to him and asks him to teach him to skate for a movie. Cameron is caught off guard with how attractive Finn is but can't find a way to say no to the man. Cameron is instantly protective of Finn and wants to go out of his way to help him.

Actor Finn Kerrigan has so many secrets and he's so tired of hiding. When a role completely different than he's used to comes up, he knows he has to take it even if he can't ice skate. He eventually wants to come out, but he doesn't think he can as an action hero. But finding a character with more depth will allow his fans to see he's more than just that one character. And asking the sexy hockey player for help on the ice may not be the best idea to keep all his secrets hidden.

I love the start of this new series. I adored the relationship between Cam and Finn. They were so sweet. Cam was so patient with Finn with his anxiety over his ADHD, he was everything that Finn needed. They were so adorable and the chemistry was instant between them.

I can't wait for what's next!


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first book in a new series by the talented duo of Scott and Locey – and fans of their works will recognise some old friends popping up in conversation, and possibly on the ice!

L.A. Storm have just lost their chance at the Stanley Cup and Cam is both furious and disappointed – so when an actor asks him to teach him to skate and learn about the world of the NHL for a film role, he is not really interested. Their relationship is definitely rather shaky to begin with, however, with time and pushing Finn's buttons, Cam finds the man behind the character is rather delicious.

This is a great mix of the crazy of the NHL and of Hollywood drama. Finn and Cam are both good people, but Finn in particular has to learn how to trust – himself and others – and discovers how a 'normal' family life can mean a degree of crazy, but also wonderful connections.

I am already looking forward to the next installment!

 

 

USA Today bestselling author RJ SCOTT has written over one hundred and fifty romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.

She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.

Connect with RJ Scott

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Facebook Group: RJ Scott – Special Secret Group
Facebook Group: MM Hockey Romance

 

V.L. LOCEY loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.)

She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

Connect with V.L. Locey

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Facebook Group: V.L. Locey – Vixens Reading Group
Facebook Group: MM Hockey Romance

 

 

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Script (L.A. Storm #1) by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey to read and review.

Curious by Leslie McAdam Blog Tour

I’m desperately attracted to my husband.
Which wouldn’t be a problem, except he’s straight.

What happened is, my longtime crush/hero got badly injured saving me from my evil ex-boyfriend. When I found out he (my hero, not my ex) didn’t have health insurance, I did the logical thing: I proposed. To my surprise, he said yes.

I knew that Camden wasn’t interested in me like that. This deal was always meant to be temporary—just until he healed and could get his own insurance and I found a place to stay, since I’m not moving back in with my ex. No feelings involved.

Except Cam kissed me at our wedding ceremony, and ever since, we can’t seem to stop kissing. He says he’s curious what sex with a man would be like, but I don’t want to be another straight guy’s experiment.

Still, Cam is so kind and beautiful, with his dark eyes and tousled curls shoved into a backward baseball cap. His patience makes me want to throw out all my carefully crafted rules. And don’t get me started on how his first instinct is to protect me…

But I’m scared if I open my heart, I’m going to get hurt. Again.

Can I risk telling Cam how I feel before our deal ends? Or should I let him go and lose the best (fake) relationship I’ve ever had?

Curious is a stand-alone contemporary M/M romance novel with a marriage of convenience and bisexual awakening. It features Shelby, a receptionist who’s never met a vision board he didn’t like; Camden, an internet-famous contractor; and a hasty wedding for medical insurance reasons. Happy ever after guaranteed.

Don’t miss our reviews of other books in the IOU series!
For book one, Ambiguous, click HERE.

 

 

Book 4
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Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

Everyone in the room is looking at us, just the way we were looking at the couples before us.

I regulate my breathing. My ankle hurts, but I set that pain to the side. My cheeks are burning, and my hands are trembling. I’m glad my brother is here. I’ve set my crutches down and taken hold of Shelby’s hands. They’re clammy, and I’m trying to warm them up. They’re also steadying me.

But then he looks up at me with those liquid brown eyes, and my chest feels light. My pulse races, and my mouth goes dry.

After asking us a few more questions, the clerk begins the ceremony. “Do you, Camden, take this man, Shelby, to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, to have and to hold from this day forward until death do you part?”

“I do.” I say, and I squeeze Shelby’s hands. He gives me a small, genuine smile.

“Do you, Shelby, take this man, Camden—”

Holy ____, I’m getting married. I don’t know why it took this long for it to sink in. Something about that fact makes me giddy, and I want to burst out laughing, but I rein it in. Shelby says, “I do,” and I let out the biggest breath. Part of me—the part still traumatized by Leah—worried that he’d say no. I want to hug him for saying yes. For not humiliating me.

“You may exchange rings, if you have them.”

“Oh. Right.” I pull the two bands out of my pocket, and my fingers tremble all over again.

Reaching over, I again take Shelby’s soft, tan hand in my work-roughened one, and my jitters vanish when he looks up at me, an expression of wonder on his face, his eyes brimming with tears. He swallows, and I want to hug him or something.

Instead, I place my ring on his finger.

It looks good there, and this possessive feeling—that Shelby is mine—rushes through me, even if our situation is temporary.

For now, at least, he is mine.

Shelby slips my ring onto my finger. I’m not used to wearing jewelry, but it feels right. Like it’s always been there. And I like being able to give Shelby some stability… for now.

We hold hands, and I can’t tell if he’s supporting me while my ankle is busted, or I’m supporting him on this wild adventure. Maybe we’re supporting each other.

“…and you may kiss your husband,” the clerk says, and I have to keep from doing a double take.

Of course, I knew this was a standard part of the ceremony. Heck, I just watched a couple go through this exact process. And I have no problem kissing Shelby—even in front of an audience—but, like actually being married, the reality of it hadn’t gone through my brain.

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angie – ☆☆☆☆
At first, I wasn't sure this book was going to work for me. The first few chapters were questionable. Is there a lot of farfetched stuff happening in this book? Yes. Are there some inaccuracies in this book about roofers, obtaining marriage licenses, etc? Yes. But was it a good book in the end? Yes! I instantly loved Shelby, how can you not? Cam was a sweetheart from the get-go. Besides the stuff that I found inaccurate or farfetched, I still enjoyed the book. I loved watching Shelby and Cam, and how their relationship progressed. I wanted to throttle both of them for not being more communicative about their feelings, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. There was angst at the beginning of the book but after that, the book was sweet and mushy.


Shannan – ☆☆☆
Curious is the fourth installment in the IOU series. I did read this as a standalone without issue.

Shelby thought he had found the one, until he found out that his one was also someone else's husband, and she didn't know her husband was hooking up with men. That turned into Shelby being abused by his now ex. When Camden, Shelby's coworker’s brother, sees him disheveled and bruised, Camden rushes to his aid. Camden hurts himself pretty severely in the process. Shelby feels terrible that Camden got hurt defending him. Camden knows Shelby has nowhere to go and offers his pool house to him until he can find a place of his own. After an urgent care appointment, Camden has more wrong with his ankle than he can afford without healthcare so Shelby, feeling terrible about the situation, offers to marry Camden (his long-time crush) to get him on the insurance policy as fast as possible. What starts out a marriage of convenience quickly turns into more than either of them expected.

I thought this story had tons of potential, but it just didn't come through for me. Camden was patient and was very up front about his feelings and intentions. Shelby, on the other hand, was very “he likes me, he doesn't like me.” He was so back and forth and had so much angst. I know the author gave a warning in the beginning to "suspend reality" for the sake of the story BUT I just couldn't with Shelby's character. I was pulled from the story so many times with his inner monologue. Bi-awakening is one of my favorite tropes, but this one just wasn't for me.

 

 

 

USA Today bestselling author LESLIE MCADAM is a California girl who loves romance and well-defined abs. She lives in a drafty old farmhouse on a small orange tree farm in Southern California with her husband and two children. Leslie's first published book, The Sun and the Moon, won a 2015 Watty, which is the world's largest online writing competition. She's gone on to receive additional literary awards and has been featured in multiple publications, including Cosmopolitan.com. Her books have been Top 100 Bestsellers on both Amazon and Apple Books. Leslie is employed by day but spends her nights writing about the men of your fantasies.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Curious (IOU #4) by Leslie McAdam to read and review.

The Fortunate Son by Aimee Nicole Walker Spotlight

Ivan Gallagher’s first and only attempt at love nearly cost him everything—his reputation, family, and even his freedom. Needing an outlet for his pent-up passion, the gruff foreman turns his beekeeping hobby into a successful business. Just when he’s on the verge of taking his liquid gold to the next level, a granted favor transforms his orderly life into a sticky mess.

Rory Snyder was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but wealth couldn’t spare him from loss and heartache. Finding himself at the center of a dangerous media storm, the social media influencer seeks refuge at Redemption Ridge. Too bad the Viking-sized Ivan seems impervious to Rory’s charms because he could use a sexy distraction from the chaos threatening to ruin his life.

Predawn collisions in the hallway lead to revelations, explorations, and something far sweeter than honey. Soon, living in the moment becomes living for the moment. But for how long? A future seems impossible for the humble foreman and the fortunate son until a common nemesis makes Ivan and Rory realize what they truly stand to lose.

The Fortunate Son is book two in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. The Fortunate Son contains mature themes and is intended for adults.

Content Warning: homophobia, underage alcohol addiction, and intentional overdosing are briefly discussed in this book, though no graphic descriptions are used.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Redemption Ridge series!
For book one, Guys Like Him, click HERE.

 

 

Book 2
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~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

The big mountain of muscle doth protest too loudly, even if it was presented as stomping away from the conversation. Rory wasn’t really into the whole daddy thing, but it was sure fun as hell to rile people up. His brother had cringed when he’d applied the label to Cash when the silver fox had headed in their direction, but Rory suspected Ivan’s reaction had nothing to do with disgust. The guy reminded him of a Viking with his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and thick thighs. He wore his auburn hair in a fade with closely shorn sides and longer strands on top. The Viking’s beard was a darker red, and Rory wanted to know what the rest of his body hair looked like. He’d bet the hunk was furry in all the right places too. Christ, the man was even sexier up close. Amber eyes the color of expensive whiskey assessed him in a way that made Rory feel vulnerable. He couldn’t have that and decided to regain the upper hand with outrageous flirting.

Ivan. His name, build, and dark scowl belonged to a conqueror as he’d said, but his soft voice belonged to someone gentler like a scholar. Would his touch be rough and firm or soft and teasing? A Viking-sexual such as he could hope for both. Fascinated by the dichotomy, Rory was eager to follow the man who held his fate at the ranch in the palm of his enormous hand, but first he turned his attention to the dark-haired hottie who’d entered the kitchen in time to overhear Ivan shouting his displeasure about having Rory foisted on him to settle a debt between Cash and Nick.

Dark brown eyes had studied Rory with unabashed curiosity. “Who are you?”

“I’m the favor.”

 

 

Ever since she was a little girl, AIMEE NICOLE WALKER entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day. She’d love to hear from you.

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Facebook Group: Aimee Nicole Walker’s Dye Hards

 

 

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