Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Review: Her Halloween Treat by Tiffany Reisz

Happy Halloween!

Today I'm sharing my review of Her Halloween Treat by Tiffany Reisz!
I read this book in 2016 when it first came out but it feels fitting to share it today! 
If you are looking for a short & spicy read, Her Halloween Treat will keep you warm on All Hallows Eve!

Get yourself a copy today!
Have a Safe & Happy Halloween!



 

Trick…or wicked treat!

It was a devastating dirty trick—Joey Silvia just found out her boyfriend of two years is married. What. A. Dick. Joey knows her best chance to get over one guy is to get under another. Of course, heading home to her family's remote cabin in Oregon poses some challenges in the "available men" department…until she discovers this cabin comes with its own hot handyman!

Holy crap, Chris Steffensen. When did her brother's best friend turn into a hard-bodied pile of blond-bearded hotness? He's the perfect Halloween treat—and a surprisingly dirty rebound guy. For a couple of weeks, anyway. Except that Chris has other ideas…like proving to Joey that this blast from the past is a whole lot more than a naughty Halloween hookup.


My Thoughts


HER HALLOWEEN TREAT is a delightfully funny and sexy read!

Tiffany Reisz is a brilliant writer! I adore her wicked sense of humor! Chris and Joey were magic together! Their chemistry was off the charts and their witty banter had me laughing out loud many, many times! I couldn’t put the book down!

The story was fast-paced and did I mention funny? I absolutely LOVED it! Now we know that Ms. Reisz writes some very risquΓ© and controversial stories (such as The Original Sinners series) but you won’t find that material in this book. Oh, it’s HOT! Don’t get me wrong, but it is a lot more “vanilla” than her other stories.

Chris is a super sexy lumberjack-type handyman with a beard, dirty blond hair and a smile so sexy it will melt your butter! I loved that Chris and Joey knew each other and grew up together. I also loved the storyline and that while it was funny and steamy, there’s also a beautiful fragility to it that made it easy for me to relate to the characters.

HER HALLOWEEN TREAT is a must-read for anyone who loves exciting stories and their romance a little smutty! I highly recommend it!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.




Purchase Links



About the Author

Friday, October 27, 2023

Review: The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens by Jaimie Admans

I am SO excited to share my review of The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens! 
This is an awesome story full of heart, heartache, hope, faith and Christmas magic!
Jaimie Admans always tugs at my heartstrings and fills my heart full of joy with every story she writes!
I highly recommend The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens!
It's currently FREE in Kindle Unlimited in the US!
(click the book cover)


 


In Mistletoe Gardens a legend exists: anyone who kisses underneath the mistletoe will be guaranteed another year of love…

When local baker Essie Browne discovers that Mistletoe Gardens is to be demolished in January, she’s determined to save the place she loves so much. So Essie proposes building a life size gingerbread house to bring in the crowds…just how hard can it be?

Well, quite hard actually. Essie can bake gingerbread blindfolded, but she hasn’t got a clue how to build an actual house with it! She needs help - and fast!

Enter local builder, Joss Hallissey. Essie is convinced that with Joss’s help they can pull this off. There’s just one tiny problem: Joss hates Christmas, gingerbread, and… well, just about everything else too.

Joss the Grinch makes it clear that her idea is ludicrous and pointless, but he reluctantly agrees to help with her plan.

Will the gingerbread house be enough to save Mistletoe Gardens? Or will Essie's chance for a magical kiss under the mistletoe be lost forever?


My Thoughts


An utter delight! A true embodiment of the magic of Christmas!

This is a lovely grumpy/sunny romance set against the backdrop of the small Welsh town of Folkhornton during the Christmas season. The magical Mistletoe Gardens park is in jeopardy of being bulldozed to make way for a new apartment complex nobody wants. A plan forms to make the town’s annual winter wonderland the biggest and best event ever to help save Mistletoe Gardens and Essie foolishly promises to make a life-size gingerbread house to help draw more people to the holiday celebration. Has she bit off more than she can chew? Definitely. Essie will need a Christmas miracle–and a grumpy builder–to pull off this daunting task.

Essie is a beautifully crafted character full of life and promise. She’s a little battered because she’s lost her confidence after some past mistakes but she’s determined to save Mistletoe Gardens. Essie is a multigenerational baker and has made many gingerbread houses over the years, but none to the scale of a full size house! She visits Joseph Hallissey Jr.–owner of a local construction company–in hopes of getting his help with the house, but is quickly and firmly rebuked, repeatedly. Luckily, Essie is determined and fully dedicated to making this gingerbread house the best thing ever, despite all the naysayers.

Joseph–prefers Joss–hates Christmas and people. He’s busy with his own business problems and has no time to help some flighty baker make a life size gingerbread house in three weeks’ time. There’s just no way. Well, until Essie brings him a basket of sweets from the bakery where she works and her annoying persistence–and her kindness–has Joss thinking up some good ideas on how to begin the process. Soon he’s grudgingly swept up in the gingerbread house construction and spending more and more time with Essie. And the more time they spend together, the harder it is for Essie to remain detached. You see, Joss has plans of leaving Folkhornton after the new year, and never coming back. How can Essie not lose her heart to this gruff man, who secretly has a heart of gold? I know I couldn’t!

I mean, I love Essie and Joss together but I was absolutely enamored with the citizens of Folkhornton! So many lovely and quirky people with so much love and generosity and wicked senses of humor! They are the perfect complement to the story and were the royal icing that held everything together so brilliantly!

The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens is a story full of joy and heartache, of love and loss, of courage and doubt, of faith and hope, and of miracles. It will melt your heart and have you reaching for the tissues! I was quickly swept away into this magical story and held captive until the very end.

Whenever I need a joyful read to brighten up my holiday season, I turn to Jaimie Admans who never disappoints! I highly recommend The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.



About the Author


Thursday, October 26, 2023

Review: A Cowboy Country Christmas by Jennie Marts

Jennie Marts sure knows small towns, cowboys, and second chance romances!
A Cowboy Country Christmas is Book #6 in her Creedence Horse Rescue series and it's soooooo good! 
It's funny, heartfelt, and absolutely heartwarming! 
A Cowboy Country Christmas is just what you need to satisfy your holiday cheer needs!
It was an absolute joy to read and loved it! I hope you'll love it too!


 



There's no better time than Christmas to open your heart

Holt Callahan used to love the holidays, but getting dumped on Christmas Eve would turn anyone into a Grinch. Now he hates Christmas and all the holly jolly shenanigans that go with it. When he moves back to his cousin's ranch in Creedence, Colorado, the last thing he expects is to come face to face with the one who got away and all of her holiday cheer.

Lainey McBride is all about Christmas. Now she's running her family's ranch festivities while her grandfather is in rehab, and no matter how many things don't go according to plan, she's determined to bring her holiday spirit. But the holidays have their own way of healing, and a Christmas in Creedence just might be the merry magic that brings these two broken hearts back together again.


My Thoughts

A Cowboy Country Christmas has all the feels all wrapped up in the magic and mayhem of the Christmas season. I absolutely love this story full of love, hope and second chances.

Holt and Lainey have been in love since they were kids. Something tragic happened in high school one Christmas and a lot of confusion and broken hearts have kept these two souls separate for ten long years. A runaway horse brings Holt and Lainey back into each other’s orbit. Then it’s a wild roller coaster ride of Christmas cheer, nosey townsfolk, a grumpy cowboy grinch, a sunshiny elf with a hand for helping everyone, a menagerie of quirky farm animals, and a love story desperately in need of a Christmas miracle.

The story is beautiful, fun, hilarious, heartfelt, heart wrenching, and packed full of Christmas spirit. The secondary characters are amazing and vital to the storyline. The animals are the real stars of the show! The love in this book is so raw and so beautifully fragile, I felt every high and low of Holt and Lainey’s story as if it were my own. It was a complete joy to read and I highly recommend this and every book by the author.

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.




About the Author




Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Review: Bad Luck Vampire (Argeneau #36) by Lynsay Sands

Today I'm reviewing Bad Luck Vampire by the amazing Lynsay Sands! 
Bad Luck Vampire is Book 36 in Lynsay's Argeneau series! Wow!
I've been a fan since the beginning! 
This is an exciting paranormal romance series based on a race of immortals mistaken for vampires... but technically vampires. You'll have to read the books to understand! 
The books are fun, funny, sexy and oh so entertaining! 
I highly recommend the entire series!


 



New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands returns in this latest chapter of the Argeneau series with an immortal who is having a bit of bad luck while trying to woo his life mate…


Alasdair MacKenzie has never once considered himself unlucky in all the centuries he’s been an immortal rogue enforcer. Not until he meets Sophie. Finding the beautiful, smart, and funny woman who is his life mate is great luck, actually. But meeting her at a wedding full of Argeneaus, not to mention his own busybody uncles determined to “help him claim his woman,” is bad luck. And the fact that Sophie is someone else’s date? Well that’s just the next level of unlucky.

From the way her gaze travels over his body like a caress to the electric zing whenever they innocently touch…he wants her for all eternity! He’ll keep his hands off Sophie until her date is over. After that all bets are off and he’ll pull out all the stops to win her. Great plan—until he gets hit by a car. And then he’s poisoned. Is his luck that bad, or is someone out to stop this immortal from claiming Sophie as his life mate?


My Thoughts


I absolutely LOVE a Lynsay Sands Argeneau story and this one is no exception!

Sophie Ferguson has bad luck in love. Case in point, on her most recent date, she is saved from a handsy suitor that won’t take no for an answer by a gorgeously attractive stranger with beautiful eyes. Jerk deserved what he got! Sophie is so thankful for his help, she agrees to be his date for the wedding of his coworker. Yeah, it’s a bit unusual but surely she’ll be safe at a crowded wedding, right?

Alasdair MacKenzie is an immortal enforcer (vampire cop) hunting down rogue vampires (oops, sorry, I mean immortals). Don’t call them vampires in front of some of the older immortals or you may just lose your head! Anywho… Alasdair and his twin Colle are rogue immortal enforcers for the North American Council of Immortals (dispensing justice to bad guys) and they are attending a wedding of one of their fellow enforcers.

All of the sudden, Alasdair’s matchmaking family member Marguerite Argeneau Notte–notorious for “knowing” who an immortal’s lifemate will be–starts working her magic by sitting a very attractive human next to him at the ceremony. But once they lay eyes on each other… sizzling chemistry ensues! Especially when his Scottish brogue starts to come out! Holy hot Scotsman!

As Sophie and Alasdair explore this fiery passion between them, a string of unusual accidents befall Alasdair, violently enough that if he weren’t immortal, he would’ve died several times over. Is there something supernatural trying to tear Sophie and Alasdair apart or is Sophie really cursed with bad luck? The answers will leave you speechless!

This book was so fun and so funny! It was also heartbreaking and bizarre with a capital B! Sophie and Alasdair are great characters and I really enjoyed them both! My favorite parts of the story are when Alasdair is getting unsolicited dating advice from his four loud and rowdy kilt-wearing Scottish uncles! They cracked me up trying to help Alasdair woo the lovely Sophie. But they also have lots of heart and compassion, and I just loved them all! I hope they find their own life mates! Now that would be something to see!

Bad Luck Vampire is a quick read with lots of laughs, passion, crazy surprises, and loveable characters! I highly recommend the book and the Argeneau series!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of the review.





About the Author



Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Review & Excerpt: Shadow of Doubt by P.A. DePaul!

Happy Release Day P.A. DePaul!

Shadow of Doubt is Book 2 in Ms. DePaul's SBG series.
First published in April 2015 through Berkley's Intermix series.
This is the FIRST time Shadow of Doubt is published in eBook AND print! 

Shadow of Doubt is an action-packed romantic suspense series with an exciting whodunit! 

Get your copy today! 



About the Book

He wants something for himself…

If only he could believe in her innocence.

Michelle Alger flees when her secretly recorded tryst winds up on the internet. She has no option but to hide. Her one-night stand—the son of a powerful US senator—was murdered. Learning she’s the prime suspect is traumatizing. Already a member of witness protection thanks to a Colombian drug lord kidnapping her in college, she now has to run from the senator and law enforcement. To make matters worse, the drug lord finally knows her location and is hot on her trail. There’s only one man she trusts. He saved her once, can he do it again six years later?

Captain Jeremy Malone no longer wears a Green Beret. He’s traded in his fatigues for a new life leading Delta Squad, a covert unit within SweetBriar Group. His latest orders from the senator: find the unknown woman and bring her to me. But Jeremy knows her identity. He once rescued her from a Colombian cartel, and has never forgotten her. He assigns his squad a new mission: find Michelle first and learn the real story.

Michelle and Jeremy can’t deny their explosive chemistry. But, with every new piece of evidence, Jeremy’s faith in Michelle’s innocence is questioned. Is her plea for help a ruse…or a trap set by a beautiful woman determined to expose Jeremy’s own secrets…

This latest edition has been updated and re-edited since its original release with Berkley. If you’re looking for intense action, found family, a core group of characters, and steamy sex, this is the series for you!

My Thoughts


P.A. DePaul dazzles me again in the second installment of her SBG series!

I’m so glad we’re back with the Delta Squad as they are tasked with finding a murder suspect for a senator’s son. When the suspect turns out to be a woman from Cappy’s past, he immediately starts looking for her. The woman he saved years ago could not be a cold-blooded killer…could she? What starts out as a murder investigation turns into a multi-faceted enigma that challenges all of Cappy’s beliefs in the woman of his dreams. Buckle your seatbelts folks, because you’re in for a wild ride!

I really enjoyed SHADOW OF DOUBT! I loved Cappy and about fell out of my chair every time he took his shirt off! What a dream boat! The story was engaging and held my interest throughout the book and pulled at my heartstrings several times. Michelle’s journey has been a tough one; suffering from PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) from her captivity six years prior really did a number on her. I loved how Cappy grounded her and was able to pull her from the PTSD episodes.

I thought Cappy and Michelle were paired well together but I did feel Michelle’s character was a little one dimensional. All we really saw of Michelle was her fragility after the kidnapping. She did toughen up at the end and I liked how she was able to start to empower herself. I’ll have to wait to see how she’s developed in the next books in order to see her depth and range. Although I could be biased because I want Cappy for myself πŸ˜‰

I did have one tiny issue with Romeo. Yes, he is a sexy ladies’ man and it’s obvious from EXCHANGE OF FIRE that he and Magician—a female Delta Force team member—have undeniable chemistry but they aren’t together. What I didn’t like was that I felt Romeo exploits that around Magician by flirting and hitting on other women right in front of her. I’m not sure if these two will be together or not but I think Magician can do MUCH better than that jerk. Only time will tell.

All-in-all, it was a great read full of suspense, a little intrigue…and did I mention Cappy taking his shirt off? *dreamy sigh*

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book.



Excerpt



Chapter 1

Colombia, South America—Six Years Ago

Michelle Alger swung her leg over the back of the four-wheel ATV and rested her hands on Ignacio Ramirez’s hips.

“I’m so glad you reconsidered,” she yelled over the thrum of the loud engine. “I can’t wait to see this amazing paradise your family owns.” She shifted back to the edge of the black pleather cushion. With her legs straddling his and the vibrations coursing through the seat, she couldn’t escape the uncomfortable sexual intimacy the off-road vehicle forced on her.

Knowing Nacio’s over-inflated ego, he probably interpreted her loose grip and spread thighs clenching him as her capitulation to his constant offers to a night full of sex. Yeah, right.

“Your uncle won’t even know we’re traipsing on his land,” Michelle promised, trying not to squirm.

“You know he held out as long as he had because he basked in your begging, right?” Maria asked from the back of another red ATV, her heavy Spanish accent making it almost impossible to understand. “He laid it on thick with his adventures of growing up in the wild rainforest just to prolong your shameless pleading.”

Michelle laughed.

Nacio twisted and smiled. “Maybe. But wait until you see it for yourself. The samples out there are spectacular. We’ll ace this final.”

Luis, the fourth member of their environmental lab group, patted Maria’s hand around his waist then pointed at Nacio. “You lead the way.”

Nacio winked at Michelle and said in a low, sexy voice, “Better hold on tight.”

Michelle rolled her eyes and pushed him in the shoulder. “How many times do I have to tell you man-whores are not my type?”

Nacio’s throaty laugh did nothing for her.

He revved the engine and popped the ATV into gear. The four-wheeler jumped forward, causing her to wrap her arms around him tightly. Showoff.

As Nacio headed for a well-used dirt trail, Michelle turned to make sure the small, beat-up trailer hitched to the back rolled along with them. All of the equipment their group needed as well as their tents and provisions to camp for a few days rested on one unstable latch. Whoever had used the trailer before them must have gotten into an accident, because the whole mechanism was seriously bent.

Michelle sighed. What did she expect? The Universidad del sur Colombia wasn’t a rich school by any standards. She was lucky they supplied the off-road vehicles at all, let alone the trailers and equipment countless students used to study the Amazon rainforest over the years.

Luis quickly dropped in line behind them and within moments they were swallowed by the vegetation. Despite being in close quarters to her womanizing group member, Michelle’s stomach danced in anticipation of the discoveries that lay ahead. She counted her blessings every day at the opportunity of being an exchange student from the University of California for a semester. To study the ecosystem of the Amazon directly was a dream come true.

Her fellow budding ecologists loved hanging around her because it gave them the opportunity to practice their English and learn the latest slang. Most days Michelle could figure out what they were saying—or trying to say—but sometimes wading through the thick accents and wrong word choices made her head ache.

The deeper they trekked into the forest, the stiffer Nacio’s posture became. Where the heck were they? She couldn’t really judge the distance with the crawling pace and winding “trail.”

She glanced at her watch. 4:13 p.m. Five hours. Five looooooonnnnnng hours on the back of a four-wheeler made her butt numb and the feeling in her toes a forgotten memory.

She tapped Nacio’s rigid shoulder. “I need a break.”

He shot a glance at the surrounding area, his movement almost jerky with its tension. Finally, he called over the droning engine, “We’re almost at the bridge.”

Bridge? “What bridge?”

“You’ll see.”

Her long-sleeved shirt clung to her skin. Sweat from the dense humidity ran down her body in rivulets. She uncapped the canteen strapped across her body and took a swig. Early on in the journey she had learned to keep the swallows short. With so many ruts and twists, anything longer just spilled down her front.

Birds cawed and flapped away at their appearance. The magnificent colors of a parrot’s wings in flight never ceased to amaze her. Of course they weren’t the only birds she saw, but they were the ones she searched for the most.

They rounded another bend and the oppressive darkness of the full tree canopy fell away. Nacio stopped the ATV and Michelle blinked at the sight before her. Or rather the lack of scenery before her. A cliff. They were stopping at a cliff?

She scanned the area. The small opening was only big enough for their vehicles to pull to the side before the trail disappeared into the tree line again. Instead of a beautiful sunset in the late December sky, thick clouds threatened rain.

“We stopping for a break?” Michelle asked as Nacio hopped to the ground.

Luis and Maria pulled up beside them.

“Nah,” Nacio replied, his mouth grim and an edge of strain tinging his voice. “We’re here.”

Michelle’s stomach plunged. She swung her leg over the ATV and stepped down. Her legs almost gave out and the muscles in her thighs quivered. Great. She could imagine the jokes from the others about how straddling Nacio made her walk funny.

Pebbles and rocks scrunched under her boots as she paced to get the blood flowing.

“Oh, how pretty!” Maria exclaimed, scrabbling off the bike and scurrying to the edge. “Look!” She pointed at something below.

Michelle cautiously moved forward and craned her neck. She whirled on Nacio. “Is this a joke?”

Steps had been cut into the rock face leading down to a platform where a wood-and-rope bridge spanned the space between two rock cliffs. The bridge swayed in the strengthening wind brought on by the incoming storm and had to be a hundred feet in the air. The riverbed sped below, its whitecaps frothing against the boulders protruding from its depths.

“You expect us to carry all of our equipment and gear over that?”

“Si,” Nacio barked, pausing his perusal of the landscape around him. He yanked off one of the straps holding their gear on the trailer.

Okay. Maybe the guy acted like a jerk when he was overtired. “How do you know it’s safe? That wood looks old.”

“Don’t be such a wuss,” Luis quipped, grinning at his obvious attempt at slang. “There’s webbing taller than you on both sides.”

“It’s safe,” Nacio grunted. “Now get up here and grab your stuff. We need to clear out and set up camp.”

Michelle’s heart relocated into her stomach. Warning. Warning, her instincts yelled. Not a good idea. Did she have an alternative? If she attempted to hike back by herself, she’d be lost in a half hour. She glanced again at the ominous bridge of death, then at the thick vegetation crowding the tree line. Death by tumbling off a bridge or death by wild beasts if she tried to hike back by herself? Rats on rye toast. She lagged behind Luis and Maria and grabbed as much of the gear as she could carry.

Michelle grunted, her sore muscles protesting the load. Dang. She should have been hitting the gym instead of the cantina. Not only would her large hips have thanked her, but the extra stamina she could’ve gained would’ve come in handy. She readjusted her backpack. What the heck did she pack in it? Her entire wardrobe?

Nacio scanned the area again. The deep crease marring his forehead and the set line of his mouth did nothing to help her nerves. She glanced around too. Had he seen something?

Leaves swayed and rustled in the wind and the clouds deepened to a charcoal pitch. An eerie silence hung in the air. A shot of fear stole down her spine. Were the birds and such quiet because of their group or was something else here watching them? Did it wait in the shadows like a hunter?

She swallowed and tore her eyes away from the forest, forcing an inner chuckle at her jumpiness. That’s it. No more late-night suspense fests for you.

Nacio tromped to the wooden post marking the beginning of the steps and turned. “I’ll go first. Once I’m across, then someone else can go and so on. Si?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just started down the steps.

Michelle hefted a pair of duffels and got in line behind Luis and Maria. The bridge swayed and dipped as each walked across but no one seemed to have any trouble crossing.

Her heart thundered.

My turn.

She inhaled. “Don’t look down,” she whispered, then exhaled. “It’s an experience you can tell your friends about when you get home.”

Descending the last step that led right onto the bridge, she tried one more time to bolster her nerves. “You can do this, Michelle. Everyone else crossed with no problem.” She tread forward carefully. The wooden planks were nailed closely together, barely leaving any light to shine through. That was a good thing, right?

She continued to advance. The bridge moved and shifted as she walked but the high webbing on each side helped her confidence. Thick ropes were woven through the holes and made it seem as if it were stable. Please, God, don’t let that be an illusion.

Wind whipped over her, causing the bridge to sway with it. Bugger. This was so not cool. She picked up her pace. Not exactly to a run but not a leisurely stroll either.

The wood creaked beneath her feet. She glanced down and froze. Oh God. She was directly in the center.

A hundred feet up.

Rushing water below.

Gusts of air pushing against her.

Her heart lodged in her throat.

“Come on, Michelle,” Maria yelled. “You’re almost across.”

She yanked her eyes off the rocks below and looked toward her classmates. Maria clapped and gave her a thumbs-up while Luis stood with his arms crossed behind her. Nacio . . . Wait, why was he running up the hill?

“Hey!” Michelle called, moving forward again. “Nacio, where are you going?”

Maria screamed and pointed at something behind her.

The bridge shook violently and the wooden planks protested.

Michelle whirled and her mouth went dry. Two men carrying big guns ran right for her. They were shouting something, but the blood thundering in her ears prevented her from understanding a word they said.

She dropped the duffels and ran, leaping forward off the bridge. Hard stone splintered her fingernails as she scrabbled up the thin steps cut into the cliff-face. Heavy footsteps pounded too closely behind her, making her desperate to reach the top. Her foot slipped, probably from the blood dripping from her fingers, but she managed to clear the last step.

Umpfh. A heavy weight tackled her from behind, smashing her face into to ground. Before she could ascertain if she was all right, someone yanked her up by her backpack and pressed the end of a gun against her temple.

Her eyes frantically searched the area but she could only see Luis on his knees with a pistol to his head.

“Va por ahi!” someone in the woods shouted.

Michelle quickly translated: There she goes.

Oh God. Please let that be Maria escaping.

The staccato beat of machine gunfire answered her question. Michelle screamed, “NO!”

The gun lifted from her temple and slammed against her head. Her last thought before the world went dark was, Where did Nacio go?


Chapter 2

“Malone, you’ve got a visitor.”

Captain Jeremy Malone glanced up from the map of the Amazon jungle he’d been studying in his tent. As a commanding officer in the Green Berets, he normally wouldn’t be addressed so informally, but he and Captain Stacey Jackson maintained the same rank. Despite being saddled with a feminine first name, Jacks was as masculine and well-rounded as a soldier could get . . . and extremely popular with the ladies.

“Jacks, I thought you were still out reconning,” Malone answered, his voice sounding like a chainsaw compared to Jacks’ smooth intonation.

“I was,” the soldier replied, pulling a soaking wet, pathetic excuse for a man from behind him, “when our new friend, here, caught up with me.”

Malone lasered in on the man’s face. Dirt, now mud, covered the asset’s skin and his torn clothes were beyond saving. Time to find out what he was doing here. “Jose, que estas haciendo aqui?”

Jose swallowed and answered in broken English, “News seΓ±or.”

Malone tamped down his impatience. He already figured that much out himself. He raised an eyebrow and waited.

“Osvaldos take American girl.”

Malone stiffened. “Where the hell did the cartel get an American girl?”

“She crossed their border.” Jose wrung his hands, his wide eyes bouncing between Malone and Jacks.

The sinister edge pouring into Jacks’s expression had the informant stepping back.

“Start from the beginning,” Malone’s teammate and best friend barked.

Jose swallowed. “I only heard this morning. I wo-working in field.”

“Wait. Are you telling me she’s been there for days?” Malone asked, his stomach knotting.

“Si, seΓ±or. Two.” Jose held up two grubby fingers as if to make his point.

“Son of a bitch,” Jacks exploded. “That sadistic bastard Ramon could have done anything to her by now, including selling her to his twisted brother for the sex-slave trade.”

The knot constricted. Malone ignored his friend’s too-true tirade and concentrated on Jose. “What else? What have you heard about her?”

“The men, they talk. She bonita . . . pretty. Young. American. Had a—a mochila?”

“Backpack,” Malone answered automatically, stroking his chin.

“Si. Si.”

Jacks paused his pacing and barked, “Like how young?”

Jose shrugged.

“School girl?” Jacks lowered his palm to indicate a girl between the ages of seven to ten. “Or full grown?” He raised his hand to shoulder height.

Jose cupped his hands and held them in front to indicate full breasts. “Full grown, seΓ±or.” His face reddened. “The men”—he cleared his throat—“they, ah, describe what they do if they have chance.”

Malone’s stomach twisted. Christ. “Where was she captured?”

Jose dropped his arms. “By bridge, seΓ±or.”

“Gracias, Jose.” Malone turned to his friend. “Jacks, tell Jersey to escort Jose out of camp after he compensates the man, then meet me across the way.”

“Sure.” Jacks grabbed Jose’s arm.

“Wait.” Jose fought to stay. “My family. You promise safety.”

Jacks paused and Malone answered, “Do exactly what I told you when we first met and your family will not be harmed in the raid.”

“Thank you, seΓ±or,” the asset gushed, wringing his hands.

“Keep your end of the bargain, Jose,” Malone warned, holding the smaller man’s gaze. “Not a word about our existence here or the impending strike and you will be further compensated for your aid.”

“Si. Si. I not say anything.”

Jacks pulled the man into the rain.

Malone followed, then shuffled inside the second tent. Reginald “Fast Fingers” Davis sat behind his latest group of toys. Monitors were placed on top of thick, black plastic cases large enough to carry a shitload of ordnance—which they did. His M4 Carbine rifle rested against his leg as he leaned back in his makeshift chair with his feet propped up on another set of cases.

“I need your skills,” Malone announced.

Fast Fingers jerked his head up and dropped his legs to the floor, starting to rise.

“At ease and speak freely,” Malone instructed, cutting through the formalities they didn’t have time to honor.

Reginald resettled and asked, “What’s up?” The scars of bad teenage acne still pitted the man’s face, but in a way were a blessing. If the guy hadn’t been riddled with the confidence-smashing pimples he wouldn’t have spent so much time at home learning his way around a keyboard. And those skills were definitely well-honed.

Jacks ducked inside and shook his head. Rain drops flew off in every direction.

“Watch the equipment, ya mangy mutt,” Fast Fingers grumbled, hugging the keyboard against him.

“We’ve got an unexpected development,” Malone stated grimly. “The Osvaldo cartel has branched out into kidnapping.”

“Overachieving bastards, aren’t they?” Fast Fingers quipped. “Drugs and guns no longer enough to keep them busy?”

“Apparently not.” Malone shifted forward. “Before we have the final briefing with the SEALs, DEA, ATF, and that other group with no name to solidify the plans for the raid, I need to know as much as possible about the girl they took. I don’t want FUBAR stamped on our mission tonight.”

“But Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition is our specialty.” Fast Fingers laughed, then started clicking on his keyboard. “Tell me what you got.”

Malone relayed Jose’s information in less than ten seconds.

“That’s it?” Fast Fingers paused, looking up at him.

“Yeah. You’ve got one hour, fifty-five minutes to find out everything you can about her before we deploy. This may be a game changer.”

“Damn right it is,” Jacks exclaimed. “We can’t leave her with those bastards.”

“If she’s still there,” Malone replied gravely.

Jacks swore colorfully.

“Find me when you have something to report,” Malone instructed, pulling his friend out of the tent.

One hour, forty minutes later a throat cleared just beyond the flaps of Malone’s tent.

“Enter,” Malone ordered.

Fast Fingers ducked inside and started to assume the attention position but Malone waved him forward. “At ease. Bring me what you’ve found.”

Reginald loped forward and slapped a thin manila folder on the table in Malone’s tent.

“Permission to speak candidly?”

“Granted.” Malone leaned forward on the makeshift table and turned the folder toward him.

“I believe I’ve figured out who they have. I don’t have any evidence. In fact, everything’s completely circumstantial.”

“I understand what you’re saying and take full responsibility. Proceed.”

Reginald’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “Meet Michelle Alger.”

Malone opened the folder and his stomach flipped. An eight-by-ten color headshot of a smiling, happy-go-lucky young woman with twinkling bronze eyes peered up at him. Shoulder-length wavy hair, reminding him of warm chestnuts, framed a pretty face with just enough meat to tell Malone she wasn’t one of those anorexic women obsessed with dieting. A definite plus in the woman’s favor.

“Born in July.”

Fast Finger’s report yanked Malone back to reality and shamed him for imagining what the rest of her body would look like.

“She’s nineteen years old and a sophomore here as an exchange student from the University of California.”

Malone thumbed past the headshot to a single sheet of paper reducing Michelle’s life down to the basic facts. Social Security number, California dorm address, parents’ names and home address, and even the fact that she had a butterfly tattoo on her left hip.

Fast Fingers was scary good.

“Excellent work, as usual.” Malone snapped the file shut.

“I didn’t have enough time to find out her dress size—”

“No problem.” Malone cut him off, not wanting to revive the mental image of ample breasts—fueled by Jose’s visual—and spectacular ass—supplied by his imagination—in his head. “I’ve figured out which size jumpsuit to pack based on the photo.”

Reginald grinned. “She’s suh-weet. Jacks is going to flip when he sees her.”

Malone gripped the folder against an unexpected wave of anger. Mine. He blinked. Had that possessive word just run through his head? What the hell was wrong with him?

He peered at Reginald. A smarmy grin stretched across the man’s face.

Hell no. “Jacks and every other man in my unit is going to keep their damn hands to themselves,” Malone snapped, causing Reginald to do a double take.

“If you say so, sir.”

Damn. The formal “sir” let Malone know he’d gone too far in his outburst. Unable to take it back now, he glanced at his watch. “Let’s go. Briefing by the joint operations commander is in two minutes.”

***

In typical rainforest fashion, the rain that had pounded them earlier stopped, with only a few clouds lingering behind. Malone adjusted his Kevlar helmet and flipped his Night Vision Goggles down. The world was now painted in shades of green and black. “Talk to me, Jersey.”

Jersey’s mouth hardened and a flash of irritation flared in his eyes.

Not the time to find out what that shit’s about. Malone stared his subordinate down.

Jersey jerked a bulky device up to his eyes and answered coldly, “I’ve got thermal readings in that building over there.”

“You mean the one that’s supposed to be abandoned?” Jacks asked sarcastically. “How would we ever guess that’s the place? Bad guys really need to update their manuals. This is right out of the ‘How to Be ClichΓ©’ section.”

Malone ignored the other captain and studied the non-descript wooden structure. Nothing about the building stood out among the rest other than the weary, deserted appearance. He glanced at his watch. “Jacks, time to roll out. Take the rest of the team and complete our end of the mission. Jersey and I are going to retrieve Michelle.”

“I know the General assigned this to you, but I’m going to ask one last time.” Jacks clapped him on the shoulder. “You sure you don’t want to take out the communications equipment while I grab the civilian? I mean, it’s no secret, the ladies love me.” He winked.

“No,” Malone snapped. “I’ve got it covered.”

Jacks grinned. “Right. You sure are getting desperate if you’re resorting to Colombian kidnap victims for dates. I can help coach you—”

“Move out.”

Jacks snickered along with the others in hearing range. After giving Malone a two-fingered salute, Jacks signaled to the rest of the unit to head west.

Malone and Jersey entered the building and proceeded to check each room. No cartel members lingered and there was nothing worth noting on the first floor. The place definitely hadn’t been used for a while except as a hangout for members who sampled their own product.

Malone led them silently up the stairs, pausing when he reached the top, and peered around the corner. He held up his index finger, telling Jersey there was one hostile in the hallway. Jersey tapped Malone on the back, indicating he got the message and was ready to go. Malone cleared the step, aiming his gun at the man’s chest. He didn’t hesitate to shoot the man guarding the door with his suppressed handgun before the asshole could raise his machine gun. “Hallway clear,” he whispered into his mic and proceeded down the corridor. When he reached the door the dead man had been guarding he crouched, waiting with his gun at the ready. At a tap on his shoulder he reached out and tested the door handle.

“Locked.”

Jersey maneuvered around him, pulling a rolled, prewired strip of C4 from his side pants pocket. He ripped the adhesive paper off the back and slapped the long strip against the side with the hinges. He fit the blast cap on the device and unwound the wires. They hauled ass around the corner and Jersey set off the fuse.

After the concussive boom, Malone opened his eyes and tore back up to the room. Jersey pushed the broken door out of the way and Malone ran inside.

For as long as he lived he knew he’d never forget the sight greeting his eyes. Gone was the innocent, smiling, cherubic face. In its place was a broken, bloodied, naked mess handcuffed to an iron bedframe. The goddamned bastards had worked her over good.

The woman moaned and shifted her head to stare at him through blackened, swollen slits.

He swiped his NVGs up and knelt by the paper-thin mattress. “Are you Michelle Alger?” he asked gently.

She swallowed hard and nodded, wincing at the action as tears leaked down her temples.

Jersey moved to the end of the bed and pulled out a disposable camera.

“The pictures are going to be stamped classified and are only to document the condition the Osvaldo cartel left you in. They will not be released to the public,” Malone explained when he saw Michelle wince. “I need you to state your Social Security number.” He hated prolonging her rescue but Special Ops had been fooled before. Now, no one did anything unless their victim’s identity was confirmed.

He had committed every meager detail in her file to his memory and when she haltingly repeated the same nine digits, he grinned. “Excellent job.” He reached into his vest pocket and grabbed his lock-pics. “Can you tell me the city you were born in?”

She waited until he finished unlocking her hands and met her eyes before answering, “Laurel, Delaware.”

“Excellent.”

Gunfire and explosions filled the air around them.

Michelle jolted and her pathetic scream sounded more like a gargled whisper.

The raid had started in earnest. He met her inquiring gaze with a quip. “Guess the cartel decided not to go gently into the good night.”

He prayed the rest of the units were able to fulfill their objectives so he could get Michelle out safely.

After picking the locks on the two bracelets cutting into her ankles, forcing her legs to stay spread, he had nothing else left that could put off the next part. “I’m just going to move your hip.” Figuring she had been humiliated enough, he gripped her side as gently as possible with his gloved hand and lifted. A rainbow butterfly lay underneath a coating of dried blood.

Malone nodded to Jersey, who pulled a jumpsuit out of a small bag attached to his belt.

“Your . . . name?”

Malone almost missed the scratchy, whispered questioned, her voice was so faint. He paused and connected with her eyes again. “Captain Jeremy Malone, ma’am.”

Michelle nodded and her mouth twitched. His heart broke at seeing her attempt to smile under all the swelling and bruising. “Cappy for short.”

He couldn’t stop the wide grin. “I like it, but don’t try to talk too much.” Malone patted her arm. “Save your energy so we can get you out of here and stateside just in time for Christmas.”

Jersey jerked the jumpsuit forward and Malone pointed to it. “I’m going to help you put this on, okay?”

Her eyes didn’t stray from their locked position on his as she nodded.

It took both Malone and Jersey too much time to wrestle the one-piece outfit over her maimed body, not that it was her fault. Every inch of her was covered with bruising or worse. Malone figured her whimpers were probably substitutes for the screams she so rightly deserved to cry. His admiration of her grew. She out-warriored most men who had years of training. If he guessed right, she had at least two broken ribs and countless fractures throughout her body. And he hadn’t even tried to quantify the burns and open lacerations now seeping into the olive covering.

Goddamn animals.

He opened a small duffel latched to his side and grabbed a pair of hard-bottom slippers, sliding them on her feet. Gripping the strap of his M4 Carbine, he maneuvered the weapon so it rested against his back. He picked Michelle up as gently as he could and cradled her against his bulky vest.

“Call the others,” Malone ordered to Jersey. “Tell them we’re coming out.”

Jersey cracked his neck from the left to the right, then jammed the phone to his ear and snapped, “We’re good to go.” He paused, then hung up. “They’ll meet us outside.”

Malone jerked his head in acknowledgement and followed the sergeant out the door. He hated how they had to retrace their steps instead of exiting out of an alternate location. Using the same exit made it too easy for the cartel to set up an ambush and put a bullet in his ass. But there wasn’t enough time to scout another route and Michelle’s condition prevented them from executing anything more aggressive.

Jersey shouldered his weapon and quartered the area as they progressed, his posture and steps more aggressive then warranted. What the hell is going through the sergeant’s mind?

Once they cleared the building, Malone ran for the trees. Jacks materialized from the foliage like a ghost and stopped dead. His eyes scanned Michelle’s battered face and he started cussing.

“Save it,” Malone barked. “Get us the hell to the chopper before you blow a gasket.”

They blazed a trail toward the coordinates where the Black Hawk was supposed to meet them.

Gunfire, grenades, and screams filled the air as they trekked to the rendezvous. Luckily, they didn’t encounter anyone en route, but Malone didn’t trust the peace would last long. He took a knee with the rest of his unit in the foliage and adjusted his grip.

“Hang on a little longer,” he whispered, getting caught up in Michelle’s squinted stare. He fought the urge to hug her against him, wanting to force his health and strength into her just so he wouldn’t feel like such a bastard for enjoying the intimacy of his hold. “Your taxi’s on its way,” he added gruffly.

The rest of his team aimed little infrared devices at the sky, signaling to the chopper their position. Within minutes, the sound of the Black Hawk thundered overhead, then landed.

Damn. No doubt, every piece of shit cartel member heard that racket and was now racing to their spot.

Jacks slapped three unit members on their shoulders and hauled ass to the other side of the bird while Jersey and the rest of the team spread out, surrounding the chopper. Malone climbed inside. He exchanged a quick glance with the medic, conveying just how bad Michelle was before he set her on the latched-down gurney.

Smoothing a hand over her hair, he yelled over the whirling blades, “This is the end of the line for me.”

Her body jolted and she clutched his vest, shaking her head back and forth weakly. “No,” she whispered.

“Don’t worry, you’re in excellent hands. They’ll get you patched up and to a hospital in no time.” He tried to clamp down on his racing pulse that had nothing to do with the firefight outside. “I’m sure some government official will be in to check on you and help figure out what comes next.”

Machine-gun reports raged closer and he caught a glimpse of his men running, returning fire to keep the perimeter secure.

She clung to his uniform. “Cappy, don’t leave me.”

Ah God. If that just didn’t rip his heart out.

“Sir, I need to get her hooked up to an IV,” the medic stated urgently.

“And I gotta go, now,” the pilot yelled. “Either strap in or jump off, Captain.”

Shit. This sucked. He peeled her fingers off, reaching into his vest pocket at the same time and pulled out a small piece of paper and pen. After scribbling his name and phone number, he clasped her hands together and slid the paper between her palms. Leaning forward, he whispered into her ear, “If you ever get into trouble again, contact me. I promise I’ll come running, no questions asked.” He brushed a light kiss below her lobe and sat up. In a full voice, he said, “Hang in there, Michelle. You’re a survivor. Don’t let his hold you back.”

He made it as far as the edge of the chopper before he couldn’t stop himself from turning and searing her battered image into his brain. That son of a bitch Ramon was going to pay for this.

He hopped to the ground and the medic wasted no time slamming the side door shut as the pilot lifted off.

“We finally ready to enter the fight, sir?” Jersey asked, turning his NVG-hidden eyes toward Malone while fiddling with the flap on his vest pocket.

Malone unlocked his clenched jaw. “Yeah. Let’s finish this.”

Excerpt Copyrighted by P.A. DePaul


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About the Author




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Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Re-Release of The Sisters of Magic Trilogy by Donna Grant!


Donna Grant's π‘†π‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  π‘œπ‘“ π‘€π‘Žπ‘”π‘–π‘ trilogy has gotten a new look and updated formatting!

AND...the first book, π’π‡π€πƒπŽπ– πŒπ€π†πˆπ‚, is 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 for a limited time!

Tropes include:
⚔️ Soulmates ⚔️
⚔️ Alpha heroes ⚔️
⚔️ Found family ⚔️
⚔️ Friends to lovers ⚔️
⚔️ Medieval setting ⚔️
⚔️ Supernatural powers ⚔️
⚔️ Good vs Evil ⚔️





Magic. Long has it been debated on whether it truly exists. Yet, exist it does, and in
the most noble of women.

Through time women have dabbled in magic, some have even died for it. Here are the stories of amazing, beautiful, adventurous women who happen to be a dying race of witches that were cursed by one of their own centuries ago and the men who stood by their side.






With a past soaked in sin and darkness slowly closing in around him to claim his soul, Drogan only wants to live his life in solitude. Years in the king’s service and his numerous deeds directed by the crown have left Drogan with horrendous nightmares and immeasurable guilt…

Serena is a witch, cursed and forever alone. She accepts her future. Until she meets Drogan. With Drogan a passion deep and unyielding awakens inside her. She is willing to sacrifice herself for his love, but can he put his past to rest and embrace the future?
 
✦SIGNED PRINT→ https://dgrant.co/3tgPwDK
***Audio coming soon***






Hiding a secret so awful that his only hope for survival is to remain hidden, Grayson has lived most of his life pretending to be someone he isn’t. After years serving as a commander to his lord and friend, Grayson can no longer hold back the past. He leaves in search of answers only to find evil awaits him. Until he discovers an achingly beautiful woman who stirs his deepest passions and all-consuming need.

Adrianna knows what her future holds for her as a witch – loneliness and heartache. She has accepted that. Until she discovers Grayson near death in the forest. Saving him is her only choice, and even as she falls deeper into the attraction surrounding them, can her magic be enough to stop Fate or the evil that awaits them.
 
✦SIGNED PRINT→ https://dgrant.co/3RIAQaF
***Audio coming soon***






With the darkness holding firmly onto his soul, Cade knows he’s destined for Hell. Men like him don’t perform the deeds he has, regardless if they came by order of the king, and not elude the darkness…

A loner, Cade takes what the land provides and vows to keep the two men he thought of as brothers alive from the great evil after them. He knows his time is short and the evil is looking for him, but there is just enough humanity left in him to aid his friends. When the flame-haired witch finds him, Cade is instantly spellbound by her beauty. He can either forget her – or give in to the reckless, impossible love that could destroy her…
 
✦SIGNED PRINT→ https://dgrant.co/3PN2AbM
***Audio coming soon***


About the Author






Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Belated Blog Tour: The Ex-Mas Holidays by Zoe Allison + Excerpt & a Giveaway!

 Happy Release to Zoe Allison!

I am SOOOOO sorry I missed The Ex-Mas Holidays release day on September 26th! The whole family (myself included) were under the weather. Dang sinuses! I love fall, but I don't love the sinus pressure and junk that comes along with it! 

Anywhoddles! Today I am celebrating Zoe Allison and her lovely book, The Ex-Mas Holidays! I love a good second chance romance but one set in the Scottish Highlands? Sign me UP! 

Get ready for a love story that will thaw even the frostiest of hearts, as Maya and Sam navigate awkward snowball fights, unexpected mistletoe moments, and the undeniable pull of a shared past.




About the Book

It’s hard to escape your ex when you’re working together over Christmas in the Scottish Highlands, but being stuck together might be the best possible present in this sparkling new contemporary romance. 

Maya Bashir is dreading her drive home for Christmas and having to explain that she’s just left her high-paying job and a long-term relationship, so a brief detour to her friend’s festive party doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Until Maya walks in to find the last person she wants to see. Sam, the boy who broke her heart eight years ago. And he’s serving drinks. Naked. 

Sam Holland is working an extra job on the sly to help his friend get by. But little did he expect Maya Bashir to come barrelling back into his life, learning about his secret side-hustle and taking back her old job alongside him at his daytime role as a ski instructor on the slopes of the Scottish Highlands. 

As both Sam and Maya realize that their reason for heartbreak so many years ago wasn’t entirely as it seemed, they must learn to stand up for what they want the most…or else miss their second chance at love.




Excerpt



One

Where the hell are you, you foot-crippling little devils?"

Maya rummaged in the passenger-side footwell among various bags in order to find her heels, kicking off her trainers in favor of the more fitting party footwear.

Upon opening the car door to a blast of ice-cold air, she paused to put on her jacket before climbing out. How is it possible for the temperature to drop about fifty bloody degrees when I've only traveled forty miles north? Goodness knows how much colder it'd be when she continued on up the road later that evening.

As she strode out along the gentle incline of the driveway, she was distracted by the imposing size of the massive mansions on the cul-de-sac. Her feet went out from under her, and she only just managed to grab hold of a railing, narrowly preventing a fall onto her backside. "Shit!" Looking up, she checked that none of Kirsty's posh neighbors were around to hear her yelling that expletive. A glance back down confirmed the subtle shimmer of ice on the paving. "Bloody hell. Stupid winter weather."

A thought crossed her mind-was it a good idea to leave all her worldly possessions in the boot, outside, in the dark? It's a nice area. Should be okay.

There was something sad about the fact that her whole life fit in the back of her car. Sacrificing all the big items of furniture to Rich had seemed sensible when they divided it up-he was going to a new flat after all. No point wasting money on storage when I'm going to be a sad twentysomething living in my childhood bedroom for the foreseeable future. It's not as if there had been loads of stuff anyway. Their flat and ultimately their mortgage had been modest with her having chosen to work at a small accountancy firm and Rich opting to take on a finance role for a charity.

Though there had been a couple of items that had sentimental value, and were smaller. Such as the vintage Royal Albert afternoon tea plate that she would have loved to bring home in order for her and Liv to place scones upon it and pretend to take tea with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. But it had been a gift from Rich's mum, therefore Maya had relinquished it to him. Rich didn't even like afternoon tea, or scones. And he certainly wasn't partial to either Darcy or Bingley. But still, it was the right thing to do and, in any case, she was getting too old to be pretending that she was a character in a Jane Austen novel.

Maya picked her way to the front door, arms outstretched and legs akimbo, like the most inept trapeze artist in existence. There were a couple more slips, and she heartily wished that she'd kept those damned trainers on, but she'd come too far to turn back now.

"Come on, Maya. Grow a pair of ovaries." Fixing her gaze on the doorway, and wondering where this newfound habit of talking to herself had come from, she continued on her mission. Without further incident she managed to complete her quest, and arrived on the sanctity of the doorstep, in order to ring the bell.

Blowing out a relieved breath, she watched it puff into little clouds of condensation, misting up the beautiful stained glass window embedded in the door. The realization that she wouldn't know anybody at the party except for Kirsty hit, and she fiddled with her charm bracelet.

The door opened with a flood of warmth. "You made it." Kirsty grabbed hold of her in a tight hug.

"Hi," Maya said, her voice muffled by Kirsty's sequined shoulder. "You look fab. And your new house is fantastic."

Kirsty released her with a smile, transitioning into a curtsy. "Why, thank you." Straightening up, she winked. "Come in. That's everybody here now. And I do mean everybody."

Maya stepped inside to secure less slippery footing. Before she could ask why Kirsty had emphasized the everybody, she was ushered down the wide hallway and into a large living room. The surroundings resembled something out of a show home, all clean lines and glass.

Kirsty pointed to each of her friends in turn. "These are my neighbors Donna and Karen. And this is Isabelle and Una from work . . ." She went on, introducing Maya to around ten women.

Fixing a smile on her face, Maya attempted to cover the fact that the names were immediately slipping her mind like water through a sieve.

Kirsty held out her hands. "Let me take your coat."

Maya removed it, adjusting her gold off-the-shoulder top. "Can I help with anything in the kitchen?"

"Absolutely not," Kirsty said, giving her a mock-stern stare. "It's all in hand."

For some reason, that statement raised a raucous cheer from the small crowd of women, which almost made Maya jump. It was nice that everyone was able to relax and not be on kitchen duty, but she wasn't sure why it merited such an energetic response. What were they all on? Snowballs and Christmas cheer, most likely.

The others began chatting among themselves, and Kirsty touched Maya's arm. "What drink order can I put in for you?"

Maya wished she could get a hearty slug of whatever was fueling the rest of these women, but there was driving to be done, and disapproving fathers to be faced. "Just a Diet Coke, please. I'm not staying over."

"You're driving back to Glenavie tonight?" Kirsty asked.

Maya played with her charm bracelet, her stomach tightening. "I figured it was better to face the music sooner rather than later."

Kirsty embraced her, giving her a squeeze. "Hopefully you'll settle in quickly. But are you sure you can't stay? The roads are icy."

Maya shook her head, plastering a smile on her face. "I'm in the mindset to get there now."

Kirsty nodded. "You can backtrack at any time if you have a change of heart. Maybe you'll fancy joining in the fun a bit more once you see what I've got in store."

Maya raised her eyebrows. Kirsty certainly seemed rather cloak-and-dagger this evening.

"Have a seat," Kirsty said, with a wink. "I'll be back in a sec."

Maya sat on the massive, soft gray sofa next to a couple of the other guests. The room was so stylishly decorated that it was difficult to keep her envious eyes off all the furnishings. It was clearly a new build, and Kirsty had the place done out to the nines.

A smiling woman wearing a black jumpsuit shifted over to take Maya's hand in a shake. "I'm Isabelle."

Maya returned her smile. "Maya. Nice to meet you."

Isabelle sipped her wine as she nodded toward the large living room window. "I can't believe how cold it's getting."

"I know," the woman next to Isabelle piped up. "I can't believe that it's so soon until Christmas." She leaned across Isabelle to address Maya, her black tasseled top nearly dangling into Isabelle's drink. "Hi, I'm Una."

Maya shook Una's hand across Isabelle's front, nearly clotheslining poor Isabelle in the process. "Great to meet you."

Una let out a loud sigh. "I haven't gotten nearly enough Christmas shopping done yet."

"Tell me about it," Isabelle replied, rolling her eyes. "I'm never going to get it done in time."

Maya's shoulders relaxed a little. Typical Scottish winter conversation made talking to new people easier. "Same. I've not even bought one present yet, because I'm in the middle of moving home. Literally. All my stuff is outside in the car." She stopped talking, aware that her mouth was running away with her.

"Really?" Isabelle asked, raising her eyebrows. "You're moving house tonight?"

"Yeah," Maya replied. She wished she had a drink in order to soothe her feelings of inadequacy-something stronger than the Diet Coke that Kirsty was fetching. She cleared her throat. "I'm moving home because I lost my job."

"Aw," Una said, reaching across Isabelle to take Maya's hand and nearly falling into Isabelle's lap. "Sorry to hear that. Especially at Christmas."

"Ah, it's fine," Maya said, waving her other hand and plastering on a grin. "Worse things happen at sea."

Why she was comparing her plight to a maritime incident, she had no idea. Since when did sailors lose their jobs, boyfriends, and flats, plus have to go home with their tails between their legs to face their disappointed fathers? Though, granted, Moby Dick probably would be worse. Or Jaws. Or Godzilla.

Isabelle leaned back, shooting Maya a sympathetic look. "But still. That must be very stressful. Where's home?"

"Glenavie," Maya replied, coming out of her sea monster ruminations. "Not too far from Glencoe."

"Ski country," Una said, a dreamy expression on her face. "Lovely. At least it'll be nice and Christmassy."

The image of her Highland hometown entered Maya's mind, adorned in twinkly Christmas lights and dusted with snow. Christmas in Glenavie was her favorite time of year. The idea of that infused a little comfort into her veins.

Kirsty reappeared with a couple of plates of nibbles, passing them around the room. "There's more stuff in the oven, so help yourselves. Oh, and, Maya, your drink's coming."

"No rush." Maya sat back to listen to her new acquaintances. It occurred to her that Kirsty had said her drink was "coming," so who was fetching it if not Kirsty?

She heard the door open behind her. The other women's voices rose by a number of decibels, plus an octave or two. Turning her head to find out what the kerfuffle was about, Maya was greeted by the sight of a firm and perfectly shaped naked male bottom across the huge floor space. A well-toned man had his back to her as he handed out drinks, not wearing a stitch of clothing except for a tiny apron around his waist, the strings of which were entwined with tinsel.

Maya laughed, finally realizing why Kirsty had been behaving in that "nudge-nudge, wink-wink" manner. Plus, why the women seemed drunk on more than just alcohol. They were also high on the sight of a hot naked man. She raised her eyebrows, turning back to Isabelle and Una. "Kirsty's hired one of those naked waiters, I see."

"Yes," said Isabelle, smiling. "He's been preparing and serving our drinks. What a treat."

Maya shook her head. "That's what she meant when I arrived. She was being all cryptic and like 'everybody' is here."

Isabelle laughed. "She is rather pleased with herself."

"I'm rather pleased too," Una said, eyeing the man's back. "He's bloody gorgeous."

"I wouldn't know," Maya replied with a shrug and a smile. "I've not seen his face yet."

Una sighed. "The back of him is as appealing as the front." She placed her hand onto her forehead in a mock swoon. "Sandy-brown hair, ravishing amber eyes, and a sexy closely trimmed beard. My favorite."

Isabelle snorted. "Don't pretend that you've been looking at his face, Una. Not with that perfectly chiseled torso."

Una laughed.

Sandy-brown hair and ravishing amber eyes. Maya had known a man of that description before, minus the beard. Though she'd been eager to forget him, and that task had taken her a little while. The realization hit that, very soon, she might see him on a more regular basis. Another reason to dread going back.

Kirsty was gesturing to the naked waiter. "The Diet Coke is for the lady over there, on the sofa." Kirsty pointed toward Maya.

"Here you go," Una whispered. "Brace yourself."

Maya smiled, shaking her head. Who was this guy? Chris Hemsworth? She was sure he couldn't be that devastating.

The man turned. Maya's smile froze on her face, her jaw dropping as she took in his familiar, handsome features with a sinking heart. "Sam?"

His face fell, the creaminess of his cheeks staining pink. "Maya."

Two

The chatter across the room continued, but Maya's section fell silent. Kirsty, Isabelle, and Una stared at her, clearly confused as to how she knew hot-naked-guy.

She glanced around, double-checking that there were no secret cameras and that she wasn't on one of those prank TV shows. Unfortunately, it seemed real.

A million questions ran through her mind. The most pressing of which was Why the hell are you naked in my mate's house? Though it was closely followed by Why did you lead me on, then dump me? However, she didn't feel able to voice those queries, not in front of all these strangers. Especially when she hadn't seen him apart from in passing over the last eight years.

Maya cleared her throat. "Hi. You look . . ." Naked? Hot AF? "Well."

Sam raised an eyebrow, assessing her with a cool stare.

She shifted in her seat. Despite him not wearing a stitch apart from that tiny apron, it felt as if he had the upper hand, towering over her while she stayed put on the sofa. Maya tried to get up, but for a moment she wasn't sure that her legs would hold her.

"I am well, thanks," Sam replied, his face perfectly neutral. "And you?"

Bloody hell, this is beyond awkward. "Mm-hmm. Fine, fine." That minuscule apron was practically at her eyeline, and she couldn't bear it any longer, so she summoned the power to stand. However, she was then greeted by a better view of his naked torso and muscular arms, not to mention his amber eyes, which were still penetrating her inner being like some sort of alien mind probe.

"Anyway," Maya said, fixing her eyes on the doorway. "I've got to pee. Just had a long journey from Glasgow, you know? Tiny bladder and all that." She squeezed her eyes tight in discomfort as she walked across the room, closing the door behind her to pause at the bottom of the stairs. Feeling that it was safer to retreat up there, she climbed them, heading into the bathroom and shutting the door. She perched on the edge of the bath, taking a breath. This was worse than Moby Dick, Jaws, or Godzilla.

There was a knock at the door, and Kirsty stuck her head around it. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

Maya blew her fringe out of her eyes. "Don't ask."

Kirsty entered, taking a seat next to her on the uncomfortable porcelain. "How the hell do you know the naked waiter?"

Maya rubbed her temples. "Remember freshers' week, when I told you I'd not long been dumped by that guy at home?"

"Hmm," Kirsty said, frowning. "Not really."

"It was at that tequila night at the students' union."

Kirsty pursed her lips, clearly not recalling.

"I got off my head and sang 'Wrecking Ball' by Miley Cyrus at the karaoke and then cried to you about it in the toilets," Maya said, raising her eyebrows at the apparent revelation that Kirsty hadn't been paying attention to her display of teenage angst. Or perhaps that was a good thing, given how she'd murdered poor Miley's song.

Excerpted from The Ex-Mas Holidays by Zoe Allison. Copyright © 2023 by Zoe Allison. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.


Purchase Links

Zoe Allison Website

Penguin Random House


Giveaway

To celebrate Zoe's new release, I'm giving away BRAND NEW print copies of The Ex-Mas Holidays AND I'm throwing in Unleashed Holiday by Victoria Schade and Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin & Marissa Stapley!




The giveaway is being held over on my Facebook page.
Due to the cost of shipping, this is a U.S. Only giveaway.
Giveaway ends Sunday, October 15 at 12:00 Midnight CST.
Winner will be announced on Facebook. Good luck! 

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