His obsession for me is deadly, and I’m falling prey to his pleasure.
There’s never been any security in my life. After being dumped on indifferent relatives as a child, it hurt when I realized that no one was ever going to protect me.
But Cullan, my boyfriend’s father, makes me feel safer than any man I’ve ever known. He’s twice my age and totally forbidden, but his protective embraces, deep voice, and inked muscles have awoken things in me that I shouldn’t want.
When darkness swallows me, it’s Cullan who pulls me into his strong arms and leads me back into the light. He gives me protection, and a job as a nanny to his very young child. But I suspect that Cullan is drenched in his own darkness. There’s a killer on the loose in the city, and I think I know the identity of the man behind the red mask.
My instincts tell me to run from Cullan as fast as I can, but my boyfriend’s father has stolen my heart with hands that are soaked in blood.
And though it should be impossible, I think I’m having his baby.
Author’s note: Soft Tissue Damage is a standalone boyfriend’s father MF romance with dark themes, a twenty-year age gap, the hero as the other man, breeding, a jealous and possessive alphahole, and a sweet but strong virgin heroine. This book features appearances of characters from Fear Me, Love Me. The story is dark, dirty and delicious, so please read at your discretion.
Lilith Vincent is a steamy romance author who believes in living on the wild side! Whether it’s reverse harem or M/F romance, mafia men and bad boys with tattoos are her weakness, and the heroines who bring them to their knees.
Welcome to Moonridge, where the ghosts have come out to play and Death
just checked into the local B&B.
Running a B&B in a town cursed by magical drama wasn’t Mina
Cartwright’s dream job, but it’s home. After all of the werewolf
debacle over the summer, business has flatlined, and she’s barely
holding on financially. Her last hope? A surprise booking from the cast of The
Real Vampire Wives of Obsidian Hills, who are bringing their reality-show
chaos (and impeccable fashion) to Moonridge just in time for the Halloween
festival.
But the real trouble begins when Dex Grimm, a mysterious, breathtakingly aloof
man with a cane and a suspiciously deathly aura, checks into Room Ten. He says
he’s a writer. Mina suspects he’s hiding something … like
the fact that he might actually be the Grim Reaper.
As ghostly activity spikes, magical boundaries fray, and her guests (living
and otherwise) cause mounting mayhem, Mina finds herself caught between a
brewing supernatural crisis and a man known primarily as Death who somehow
makes her feel more alive than she has in years.
Add in a reality TV crew, rampaging ghosts, and the underlying danger of an
ancient evil reawakening in Moonridge, and Mina’s fall season is about
to be to die for.
About the Author
Avery Arujo is the pen name of a socially anxious, awkward, and proudly
introverted author of the paranormal mystery/romance series Welcome to
Moonridge. Avery lives in the northern U.S., where the scenery is beautiful,
the weather perfect, and the food divine. When not writing, you’ll find
Avery watching a horror movie or trashy reality TV or reading under a blanket
with a cup of coffee, and the world’s sweetest dog trying to prove that
they are more interesting than any old book.
For more information about the Welcome to Moonridge series, or to sign up for
the newsletter, visit welcometomoonridge.com.
The Itch of Greed Christa Nardi (Izzie Di Sante Mysteries, #6) Publication date: September 22nd 2025 Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery
A dark cloud hangs over baseball season in small town Rosedale when star pitcher Randy Kampton is taken out of the game for good.
The DA is determined to pin the crime on Cole Rigley, a friend’s brother and fellow pitcher, citing the fierce competition for a major league trade as his motive for murder. Rigley’s brother, asks Henry and reluctant restaurant owner Izzie Di Sante to help prove his innocence. Adding fuel to the fire, Kampton stole Rigley’s girlfriend months earlier.
While Kampton’s pitching skills are universally acknowledged, no one, not fans or teammates, has a kind word to say about him, making for a long list of suspects. Rigley, on the other hand, is respected for his talent and team spirit. The wild card is another pitcher recovering from a car accident, whose open roster spot has all three men vying for the same prize.
In Rosedale, loyalty to the minor league team runs deep, and Izzie’s digging into the players’ pasts draws resentment from fans, police, and management alike. When the team’s PR person is targeted after meeting with her, the threats become all too real. The closer Izzie gets to uncovering the truth, on and off the field, the higher the stakes, and the more dangerous the game becomes.
An alert sounded on my phone as I entered Cenare, the Italian restaurant I owned with my sister Chloe. While Chloe was a foodie, I took care of the business side of things. Before our parents died, I freelanced as a journalist following homicides in New York City.
I was committed to the restaurant and Chloe, but my passion was murder, so I kept the homicide alerts coming. Occasionally, if one sparked my interest, I took some time to search out my next story. Homicides provided a rush the restaurant business didn’t give me. I put my things down on the small table in the kitchen area and pulled up the message.
“Breaking news! The Rosedale Thorny Bats will be hurting this season. Their best pitcher, Randy Kampton, died under suspicious circumstances. His body was discovered by the custodians in the Thorny Bats locker room early this morning. Stay tuned for details.”
The announcement prompted me to check my other sources for unsolved homicides, although I’d never heard of the Thorny Bats or Kampton. I assumed if the man was a pitcher, the sport was baseball. It was spring and our guests or employees occasionally mentioned baseball. Growing up, Chloe and I spent most of our time in the restaurant. We lived and breathed Cenare.
My escape was writing. I knew from experience that the death of those close to you changed your life. My stories focused on the impact of a sudden death – usually a homicide – on those left behind. I found less resistance from law enforcement when I focused on cold cases or those that were stalled. Most often, my casual interviews with those who knew the victim provided clues to the killer.
Unfortunately, sometimes the killer targeted me. Having lived in New York City for five years, I was prepared for that, even in small town Pinewood, Maryland, where murders rarely happened. With the first ever murder in our small town a few years back, I clashed with the local police detective when the immediate conclusion was a burglary, and I disagreed. For the record, I was right.
With the murder of an athlete, Kampton’s death would likely be quickly solved if the alert was any indication. Not finding anything else of note in the alerts, I went through my morning routine of checking income, paying bills, placing orders, and taking inventory. At least I used my degree in business management. I preferred taking care of those tedious tasks before anyone else arrived.
As usual, Chloe arrived with a breakfast treat as I finished the accounting and started the inventory.
“Good morning, Chloe. Those look and smell delicious.”
“Thanks, Izzie. Help yourself. I got this idea in my head and combined ingredients from an apple brownie recipe and a cinnamon streusel cupcake. Ryan assured me they were more than edible.” With money from the estate and the restaurant, Chloe had completed her training at the culinary institute nearby. In and out of the restaurant, she often created dishes. Breakfast for me and whomever else wanted a taste tended not to be traditional Italian. For the restaurant, she kept with the family tradition and stuck to Italian dishes.
I chuckled. “I don’t know how you can cook here all day and then try out new things when you get home.”
“Well, Ryan brought some work home that he needed to get done like yesterday. Only he didn’t get the assignment until that morning.” She shrugged. “I got creative in the kitchen while he worked.”
Since she and Ryan married a few months ago, she hadn’t been as creative with her morning treats, though I could always count on her to provide my breakfast. When she took a week off for her honeymoon, I had to fend for myself, usually stopping at the local bakery on my way to work.
“It’s delicious! Not quite brownie and not quite muffin. Still very moist and I’m a sucker for cinnamon and apples. I’ll have to freeze some of these for the next time I see Henry. Now that he’s taken the detective exam and he may be working part time in Franklin, I hope to see him more often.”
Henry and I had started off as friends and our relationship moved forward from there. He was always a willing assistant and backup when I pursued a story. Helping me out prompted him to pursue his private investigator credentials.
“Speak of the devil.” I showed Chloe the phone, took the container of treats, and sat down at the table.
“Hi, Henry. How are you?”
“Good. I may have a case for you and wanted to give you a heads up. Do you have a few minutes?”
I grabbed a piece of paper off the nearby printer. “Sure. What’s going on?”
“You know the guy who always gives me a hard time about driving an automatic or having a family car? Phil Rigley?”
“Dark hair, hazel eyes, not quite as tall as you, and maybe a year or two younger. A southern twang.”
“That’s him. He called this morning, wanting my opinion. His brother, Cole, plays ball with the Thorny Bats. Cole contacted Phil this morning. Something about a player dying and the police interviewing everyone. Phil didn’t have many details, but he wanted me to look into it.”
My phone pinged with an alert. “I caught one announcement earlier and then another just came in. A custodian found Randy Kampton, a pitcher for that team, dead this morning. It was a sports broadcaster the first time, the usual police blotter the second time. Nothing else. Where did the Thorny Bats come from? Is there a new major league team in Maryland?”
“No. The Baltimore Orioles is the only major league team. The Thorny Bats is a triple-A minor league team out in Rosedale. The players are good and some eventually get picked up by a major league team. I played in college and a few of my teammates went on to the minor leagues. We lost touch but I may see if I can locate them.”
“The news I caught indicated a suspicious death. Thorny Bats is a weird name for a team though.”
“Minor league teams often have interesting names, usually related somehow to their location and often suggested by fans. Rosedale, thorns, and baseball bats – Thorny Bats. Makes perfect sense to me.” He chuckled. “Keep me posted. If it’s a homicide, Phil thinks his brother will be a person of interest. Both Cole and Kampton are pitchers, and Kampton stole his girlfriend.”
“Both would give Cole two motives. I’ll call you after lunch with any updates. Katie just walked in. Right now I best finish the inventory and start the lunch prep.”
Katie was a chef-intern from the culinary institute. We’d hired two to help Chloe and relieve her of 12-hour days. A brunette in her mid-twenties, Katie stood a good six inches shorter than my five foot ten, with the figure of someone who competed in gymnastics through high school and still used her gym membership. She added to Chloe’s energy in the kitchen. Chloe hummed and listened to her favorite tunes when not directing Katie. They worked well together and became fast friends.
Jerry, another intern, comes in mid-afternoon, when Katie leaves. Jerry towers over Katie at six foot. Husky, he looks more like a bodyguard than a chef. Before switching careers after twenty years, Jerry worked for stuffed-shirt lawyers as a paralegal. He burned out about the time his mother became ill. He started as a server and moved into the second intern position. Jerry’s personality and age lent itself to being a calming influence in the kitchen.
“Katie, be sure to try Chloe’s latest breakfast treat, but save some for Henry, please.”
She laughed. “Will do.”
Inventory done, I moved to the restaurant side. As I dressed tables, Jennifer, the manager, joined me. She became the manager when the original manager left. A long-term employee since before Chloe and I took over, Jennifer was in her mid-thirties, older than both Chloe and me. She continued in the role of server most often, but also helped with training new servers, and took on hostess responsibilities when I took time off to chase down a story.
As the waitstaff filtered in, I raced upstairs and put on a dress, a throwback to when our parents were alive. Our mother thought it added an element of class and set Cenare apart from fast-food places. As I reentered the kitchen area, I took a deep breath. I might not be a foodie, but the smell of the spices made me smile.
Lunch went smoothly and I fidgeted at the hostess stand. I wanted to check my computer and phone for any updates on the Kampton death. It had been months since a case grabbed my attention. This time, it sounded like Henry and his buddy wanted me involved. I wasn’t too sure how the league, minor or otherwise, would appreciate me asking questions. Sometimes questions uncovered secrets best left untold, at least from their perspective.
Author Bio:
Christa Nardi is an accomplished author of cozy mysteries with an edge – still no graphic violence or sex or profanity, but touching on social issues. Christa’s background is in higher education and psychology, much as her protagonists, Sheridan Hendley in the Cold Creek and Sheridan Hendley mystery, along with Stacie Maroni in the Stacie Maroni mystery series. She has always loved mysteries – reading them, writing them, and solving them. She reviews books on her blog, predominantly cozy mysteries.
Christa is a member of Sisters in Crime and can be found on occasion at Bouchercon, Killer Nashville, or Malice Domestic. She writes four series: Cold Creek Cozy Mysteries, Sheridan Hendley Mysteries, Stacie Maroni Mysteries, and the Izzie Di Sante mysteries. Christa also collaborates with Cassidy Salem in writing the Hannah and Tamar Mysteries, featuring teen sleuth sisters.
When not writing or reading, Christa and her husband enjoy travel, their three grandchildren, and their dogs. Christa supports dog rescue and local shelters.
In celebration of Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19th – We
present Hook & Jill, Book One of the The Hook & Jill Saga
An ageless fable grows up…
Wendy Darling learns. What appears to be good may prove otherwise, and what
seems to be evil…is irresistible. In this startling new vision of a
cultural classic, Wendy intends to live happily ever after with Peter Pan. But
Time, like this tale, behaves in a most unsettling way.
As Wendy mothers the Lost Boys in Neverland, they thrive on adventure. She
struggles to keep her boys safe from the Island’s many hazards, but she
finds a more subtle threat encroaching from an unexpected quarter.…The
children are growing up, and only Peter knows the punishment.
Yet in the inky edges of the Island, the tales Wendy tells to the Lost Boys
come true. Captain Hook is real, and even the Wonderful Boy can’t defend
his Wendy against this menace. Hook is a master manipulator, devising
vengeance for his maiming. Insidious and seductive, Hook has his reasons for
tempting Wendy to grow up. Revenge is only the first.
Deepening the characters so artfully sketched by J.M. Barrie, Hook & Jill
reveals the dark side of innocence at which Barrie hinted in the figure of
Peter Pan. It brings alive a daring Wendy who asks questions and seeks truth;
it delves into the man, Hook, the iconic villain. Striding from fairy-tale and
thrusting into reality, Captain Hook becomes a frightening force indeed.
About the Author
Andrea Jones is the author of the Hook & Jill Saga, an award-winning
series of Neverland novels for adult readers.
Jones graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she
studied Oral Interpretation of Literature, with a Literature Minor. In her
career in television production, she worked for CBS and PBS affiliates, and
corporate studios, also performing as on-camera and voice-over talent.
Jones is an editor of the Reginetta Press Classics Restoration program, which
seeks to preserve the integrity of beloved old manuscripts before they are
lost to time. The first project in the program is Peter and Wendy: The
Restored Text. In tribute to J.M. Barrie, Jones corrected alterations made by
modern publishers, returning Barrie’s timeless tale to its exact 1911
first edition text. This book is the basis of the Hook & Jill Saga, and
Jones remains true to J.M. Barrie’s vision of his Neverland and its
inhabitants.
Andrea Jones is known around the world as Capitana Red-Hand of the web-based
pirate brotherhood, Under the Black Flag. She is also a member of the pirate
re-enaction troupe, the Brethren of the Great Lakes. Her home port is near
Chicago.
Sweet Nightmares Hazel St. Lewis (Wicked Mirrors) Publication date: September 17th 2025 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
She was prophesied to destroy an evil god, but she becomes his minion instead.
Jane Whitfield rose from nothing to become the youngest Prima Ballerina in the history of the Royalle Ballet—despite having a violent husband three decades her senior. But her carefully choreographed world shatters when her husband’s enemies come to collect his debts. Jane is tortured into making an impossible die, or strike a bargain with an evil god trapped inside a mirror.
Nightmare is ancient, cruel, and feared for a reason. He trades magic, wealth, and knowledge for soul-crushing costs—and he believes Jane is the witch destined to destroy him. But instead of killing her, he toys with her, offering a twisted sell her soul, serve him, and receive an endless supply of riches—enough to satisfy her wretched husband and his debtors.
Now bound to a god who revels in ruin, Jane becomes more than just his minion—she’s his growing obsession. But obsession doesn’t spare her from his darkness. He’s evil. She’s supposed to hate him, but the more time she spends in his realm, the harder it is to tell if he’s her monster… or her salvation.
She was destined to destroy him, but love might destroy her first.
Sweet Nightmares is an adult romantic fantasy Prequel/Sequel novel to Gilded Wicked Mirrors. It can be read first, or after GWMs. It is a touch-her-and-die, villain romance perfect for lovers of the Hades and Megara dynamic or fans of Kingdom of the Wicked. It is not a standalone.
Jane stood up and put her body between them just in time to be slammed between the Vampire Prince and the ancient god. At the impact, Nightmare’s hands wrapped around her waist, steadying her.
Nightmare let out a low, wicked growl. The whites of his eyes bleeding red, fury painted on every curve of his body, his fangs and metal nails bared. Ready to kill every mortal in the room if Jane didn’t do something quickly.
“Everyone get out now,” Jane said, her hand on Nightmare’s chest and her voice wavering. Her eyes never left Nightmare. “Thorne, my monster. Keep your eyes on me.” She dug her hand into his shirt while he tightened his hold around her waist. At the same time, she heard movement from all around them. Everyone else, leaving them alone in the room.
When he still hadn’t calmed down, and his eyes hadn’t lost any of the red, Jane asked, “How can I help you settle down?” Jane flattened her palm once more over where his heart should beat—but it never did. “What do you need?”
“I need to feed.” Nightmare’s eyes flashed, and he darted around, presumably searching for an unsuspecting human he could eat.
“Are you going to kill your food?” she breathed.
“Yes.”
“Do you have to?”
Nightmare blinked, his black, well-manicured eyebrows creasing together.
“Are you able to control yourself?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said slowly, cocking his head, his eyes fixating on her neck.
“Then feed on me.” She cocked her head to the side, giving him permission to take her blood.
“You may hate it.”
“It’s fine. I am not afraid of you.”
An unreadable sound vibrated in his chest, and then, without warning, he pushed her fiercely up against the wall, pinning her in and biting down on her neck.
At first, it hurt, his fangs piercing her skin and claiming her. It was a sharp pain, but then the wound began to tingle and turn… the feeling becoming something hot and pleasurable.
Every nerve ending in her body lit up with an intense feeling that she’d never felt before. A moan escaped her lips, and she suddenly needed to be closer to him, to be touching him, one with him.
Author Bio:
Hazel St. Lewis is a Northern California-based Romantasy author. Diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, she struggled to read and write, but fantasy stories inspired her to start storytelling. Unfortunately, now, she is a little too obsessed with morally gray characters. When she isn’t writing, she can be found playing with her hoard of cats (too many to count…it’s a problem), singing songs to said cats, or painting.
When an unidentified patient is admitted to a psychiatric ward, her erratic
behavior and cryptic journal entries leave the staff scrambling for answers.
Fragmented tales of abandonment, conspiracy, and violence spill from her lips,
blurring the line between reality and delusion.
Dr. Teresa Brock is
determined to uncover the truth. But every clue she uncovers deepens the
mystery, pulling her into a labyrinth of chilling revelations. Is the patient
a victim of mental illness? A master manipulator? Or something far more
dangerous?
About the Author
Michele Packard writes like she talks—with just enough sarcasm to make
you smirk and squirm at the same time. An award-winning, multi-genre author,
Packard is best known for her snarky, high-stakes thrillers that blend
conspiracy, chaos, and current events. But she’s not afraid to slow down
the pace and get personal, especially when sharing stories that open
conversations around mental health, addiction, and grief.
Her background?
Military kid turned cable TV exec turned full-time mom—and now,
full-throttle storyteller. Her family dubbed her “AESOP” for her tendency to
exaggerate (okay, lie creatively), and she’s proudly living up to the name.
Whether she’s writing fiction that reads like Bourne meets The Americans, or
raw nonfiction that hits where it hurts, Packard keeps readers hooked with her
wit, grit, and brutal honesty.
Her books have been recognized by the
American Book Festival, BestThrillers.com, Pencraft Awards, and Writer’s
Digest, among others. But her favorite accolades come from readers who say,
“I stayed up all night reading,” or, “You put into words
what I’ve felt for years.”
The newspaper war between William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal and
Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World is raging, while in Cuba a brave band of
Cuban rebels are struggling to overthrow the tyrannical rule of Spain.
As war fever builds, Cassie O’Conner, one of the first female reporters of the
era, goes undercover in an insane asylum, where she makes a discovery of
historic proportion: a plot to assassinate President William McKinley. But
before she can act on her discovery, Cassie is kidnapped and whisked away to
Cuba, forcing the Journal and the World to join forces in a daring rescue
attempt.
Can they return her to Washington, D.C. in time to stop the assassination of
the president?
Full of action, adventure and romance, THE BLUE RIDERS is a fast-paced,
hard-to-put down historical thriller.
About the Author
Jim Lester holds a Ph.D in history and is the author of three successful young
adult novels–Fallout, The Great Pretender and Shadow Games as well as two
exciting historical thrillers, Deadline:New York and Call to a Nightmare. A
native of Little Rock, Arkansas, he now makes his home in Colorado.
Evil lurks in the darkness, clawing its way towards unsuspecting victims . . .
A woman living with fibromyalgia finds an artifact that unleashes a reality
she never thought possible . . . at a steep price.
Two high school
seniors take part in a tradition that brings them face-to-face with the
monstrous truth behind a haunting, dark urban legend.
The face behind a
popular YouTube ghost hunting show travels to the scene of a horrific event to
find fresh horrors there.
Fate takes a bite out of a young woman who
ventures into the wilderness to grieve her mother.
Best-selling author,
Theo Anderson, takes part in a sleep study that turns her into the very thing
she fears.
Hold your breath as you immerse yourself in five harrowing stories written by
bestselling author, Mallory McCartney. Fans of her gripping Black Dawn series
will be kept on the edge of their seat by this horror collection inspired by
real life events!
About the Author
Mallory McCartney currently lives in Sarnia, Ontario with her husband, their
dachshunds Link, and Leonard and their sphynx cats Luna, Legolas, Ivy and
Lily. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be
found day dreaming about fantasy worlds or bingeing her favorite horror
movies.
On a refreshingly cool summer evening in North Carolina, a hog farmer
was stunned, then horrified when a light airplane crashed into his hog pens
and erupted into flames.
The ensuing FAA investigation convinced the small town that the crash was an
accident. Except for one person. Ted Grant was an academic colleague and good
friend of Dr. David Lanmore’, and Ted knew that Dr. Lanmore had just
discovered a cure for cancer.
The last place Frank Adams wanted to investigate an airplane accident was in
his hometown of Scottsville, North Carolina. Though his parents were no longer
living, Clayton Housley, his uncle, wielded significant influence over the
town and surrounding areas as if it were his own fiefdom.
But Ted Grant’s call was urgent and disturbing. Apparently S&H
Pharmaceuticals had discovered Dr. Lanmore’s secret and would go to any
lengths to acquire the research. But would they kill for it? And if Frank
meddled in the town’s business, would his life be in danger?
About the Author
Daniel V. Meier Jr. is a celebrated American author known for his
gripping historical novels, thrillers, and literary fiction. With a passion
for storytelling rooted in history and adventure, Meier brings a wealth of
diverse experiences to his craft.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, with a degree in
History, Meier later pursued American Literature at the University of Maryland
Graduate School. His life journey has been as dynamic as his writing,
encompassing roles as a U.S. Navy veteran, flight instructor, FAA pilot
examiner, and high school English and History teacher.
Meier’s literary career spans decades, beginning in 1980 when he
published a mystery/thriller under the pen name Vince Daniels.
He has also contributed to aviation magazines and served as a journalist for
the Washington Business Journal. After retiring from his role as an Aviation
Safety Inspector with the FAA, Meier embraced writing full-time, crafting
stories that captivate readers with their depth and authenticity.
In addition to TO KNOW GOOD AND EVIL, his acclaimed works include:
• The Dung Beetles of Liberia: A riveting historical novel based on true
events, exploring the complexities of 1960s Liberia through the eyes of an
adventurous pilot.
• Blood Before Dawn: A thrilling continuation of the story introduced in
The Dung Beetles of Liberia.
• Bloodroot: A powerful tale of survival set in Jamestown, Virginia,
America’s first settlement.
• No Birds Sing Here: A sharp and satirical piece of literary fiction.
• Guidance to Death: A murder mystery that draws on Meier’s
extensive aviation experience.
Skating and Fake Dating Ellie Hall (Love in Maple Falls, #4)) Publication date: September 3rd 2025 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports
I’m pretending to be his stable girlfriend while he plays my successful boyfriend. But now faking feels a lot like falling.
Bailey
I’m a walking contradiction—professional on the job, a hot mess at home, and working my “I’ve got this” smile until my cheeks ache while hiding my hobbies: making maple butter and finding a husband. With my perfect sister’s recent engagement, I’m desperate to avoid Mom’s pitying looks and matchmaking attempts.
Carson
I used to be hockey’s laid-back southern charmer until a crushing rejection from my high school sweetheart transformed me into a workaholic. When I’m unexpectedly traded to a new team, rumors circulate about whether the gentleman wingman lost his edge. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove them wrong.
Bailey
When our worlds collide after a dessert disaster, we come up with a mutually beneficial solution to our respective woes: a fake relationship. The rules are simple: I get a “successful” boyfriend for family events. He gets a “stable” girlfriend for team image. No feelings, no complications, and a definite expiration date.
Carson
But between posing as a couple at the fall festival, midnight maple butter-making sessions, trying to keep our stories straight, and undeniable chemistry, what started as a convenient lie is beginning to feel inconveniently real. As the clock runs down on our arrangement, we’ll have to decide: walk away when the final buzzer sounds, or take a shot at the love neither of us saw coming.
***
Skating and Fake Dating is a heartwarming hockey romcom featuring Bailey and ‘Bama who are perfect for each other in all the most imperfect ways, plus, small-town charm, family shenanigans, and a guaranteed happily ever after sweeter than homemade maple butter blondies.
Welcome back to Maple Falls—the small town where hockey players fall in love! This is a multi-author series of seven full-length books that could be read as standalones, but we think you’ll enjoy them best in order.
Fake-Off with Fate by Whitney Dineen Offside and Off Limits by Kate O’Keeffe Checking Mr. Wrong by Anne Kemp Skating and Fake Dating by Ellie Hall Goalie and the Girl Next Door by Elsie Woods Soulmates and Slapshots by Melissa Baldwin The Icing on the Cake by Grace Worthington
“In one simple move—” Waving his hand across the links of the cuffs, my pulse skips and then plummets.
Nothing happens.
A consummate professional, he declares, “That was to show that no ordinary person has the ability to free these people from their bonds. No, it takes a special flick of the—” He motions again, and I expect the handcuffs to drop from our wrists, but they remain fixed, locked.
His smile wavers. My expression morphs into a scowl. Bailey grins as if this is all part of the act and she’s expecting the handcuffs to vanish like the coin from the box.
I know better … or at least, my stomach thinks it does.
The magician tries one more time, but we remain locked together.
“Ah, yes. I must’ve, um, we’ll just take a moment in my stall to—” Turning his back on the crowd, he ushers us inside and then closes the black curtain at our backs.
“Get these off, now,” I say, forgoing my manners and the word sir.
Bailey adds, “Please.”
Sweat dots his forehead. “I don’t know what went wrong. Yes, of course. Let me just find the key. It’s here—” He rifles through a little drawer in a wooden chest.
I glance at Bailey and her shoulders droop slightly. She mouths, I’m sorry.
No, it’s this clown show of a magician who should be sorry.
“Ah ha!” He says, pinching a small key between his fingers.
“Hurry up. We have a wedding to go to.” I belatedly realize I included myself when in reality I’m dropping Bailey off and then going, well, I’m not sure where. She must, though, having arranged my moving plans.
The magician slides the key into the lock, but again, nothing happens. Wrenching it from his fingers, I say, “Let me try.”
Author Bio:
Ellie Hall is a USA Today bestselling author. If only that meant she could wear a tiara and get away with it. 😉 She loves puppies, books, and the ocean. Writing sweet romance with lots of firsts and fizzy feels gives her joy. Oh, and chocolate chip cookies are her fave. Ellie believes in dreaming big, working hard, and lazy Sunday afternoons spent with her family and dog in gratitude for God’s grace.
