EXCERPT ALERT: JUST PLAYING FOR KEEPS (HOCKEY EVER AFTER) BY LAUREN BLAKELY

 

#TeaserWednesday

THE GAMES CONTINUE JUNE 3RD!

When she’s fake dating the hockey star, but he was never faking it…

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes the next standalone hockey rom com in her brand new Hockey Ever After series, JUST PLAYING FOR KEEPS! This spicy, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, only one bed in a room, opposites attract hockey romance releases June 3rd in all formats, and will be free to read in Kindle Unlimited. Check out the excerpt below, and one-click your copy today!

🏒Hockey Romance

🩷Grumpy/Sunshine

🏒Fake Dating

🩷Mirror Fun

🏒Opposites Attract

🩷He Gives Good Growl

🏒Possessive Hero

🩷She Cuts His Hair

🏒Only One Bed

#Excerpt

Read the Excerpt: 

“I don’t want to be your plus-one, sweetheart. I want your ex, and everyone else, to think I’m your real date.”

She’s quiet for a long beat. Eyes flickering. Brow furrowing. “You do?”

That might sound f*&k-all pushy, so I amend it. “Fake date.”

She tilts her head, a small, curious smile forming. “You’re saying you want to fake date me for all the wedding events?”

This makes perfect sense to me. A plus-one can be anyone—a friend, a rando, some guy who lives across the country and happens to be in town. But a date? That signals something important.

“What I’m saying is a plus-one is a cop-out. But being your new guy? That says your ex is a dumbass for losing you, and you’re moving the hell on like the f*&king goddess you are.”

Maybe I’ve said too much with goddess, but the way her smile spreads is divine. 

“Looks like you just got yourself a fake date then, mister.”

I inch closer, tuck my thumb under her chin, like I did the night I walked her to her door. Her breath catches. I slide my thumb gently along her jaw. “See you soon.”

#AudioAlert

Narrated by Erin Mallon and Jason Clarke

with performances by

Savannah Thomas and Ryan West

✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/JustPlayingAMZ 

✦ Audible ➜ Sign up for an alert! Sign up for an alert! 

https://www.subscribepage.com/LaurenAudio 

 

About JUST PLAYING FOR KEEPS (Coming 6/3/2026):

Ever hear the story about the dating coach who got dumped on the hockey arena’s jumbotron?

Everyone did. But I lived it. Including the moment when Lake Axelrod, the team’s broody, tattooed right winger, swooped in on skates to rescue me from public humiliation.

Even more surprising? When the famously grumpy (and ridiculously sexy) hockey star insists on being my fake boyfriend for my sister’s high-profile wedding.

It’s the perfect plan. His family stops pressuring him to settle down, and I’ll get the ultimate revenge, since my ex is the best man. Bonus – I might even salvage my professional reputation.

We need rules though.

To pull this off, everyone from his teammates to my boss has to believe we’re a real couple.

That means swoony touches and knee-weakening kisses are required.

When it ends, we walk away.

But the intensity in Lake’s eyes after every post-game kiss makes me wonder if he’s pretending. With each whispered secret, the line between fake and real bends. Until it shatters one night in a hotel room.

Soon, he isn’t just playing the protective boyfriend—he’s the only one who truly sees me.

If I’m not careful, I’m going to break the most important rule of all: don’t fall for your fake date.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/JustPlayingAMZ 

✦ Audible ➜ Sign up for an alert! Sign up for an alert! 

https://www.subscribepage.com/LaurenAudio 

 

ABOUT LAUREN BLAKELY

A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Her books have been featured in US Weekly and People. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party. 

Connect w/ Lauren:

Website: laurenblakely.com 

NL Signup: http://laurenblakely.com/newsletter  

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/laurenblakelybooks

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenblakelybooks 

@laurenblakelybooks

#laurenblakely #justplayingforkeeps #hockeyeverafter #hockeyromance #romancebooks @candikanepr

BOOK BUZZ (DEALS, REVEALS AND NEW/UPCOMING RELEASES FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2026)

 

#TeaserWednesday

A Very Grumpy Veterinarian by Shaw Hart releases on May 29th!

https://geni.us/AVeryGrumpyVet

Read On All Platforms

"...a sizzling, laugh out loud, bundle of emotion that sets off sparks.  Romance with heart brings the heat." - (Isha C., Blogger, Reader, Reviewer - Hopeless Romantic)

I think I’m finally ready to fall in love… I just didn’t expect it to be with my grumpy boss.

Pearl

I’ve worked at Wolf Valley Veterinary Clinic for years.

I love my job, I love the animals, and I loved working with Dr. Harris before he retired.

Then his replacement gets here, and I realize that there might be something else I love about my job.

Him.

Dr. Wells Bennett.

He’s quiet, brooding, annoyingly handsome, and the kind of man who looks at you once and sees too much.

He showed up a few months ago to help out his mentor, but then he stayed.

Took over the clinic.

Took over my routine.

Took over my peace of mind.

Now I’m dealing with a boss who barely talks, glowers at anyone who smiles with me, and finds excuses to stay late when I’m the only other one here.

I should be focusing on my work, but all I can think about is what it would feel like if my grumpy vet finally made a move.

Wells

I came to Wolf Valley to help my mentor through his last months at the clinic.

I thought it would be temporary.

Then I met Pearl.

She’s sunshine and fire all wrapped into one gorgeous, curvy woman who cares more about animals than most people care about each other.

The first day I saw her hold a trembling puppy to her chest and whisper softly to comfort him, I was done for.

Completely gone.

So, when my mentor retired, I didn’t hesitate.

I stayed.

But things are complicated.

Pearl works for me, and I’m terrified of risking the one bright thing I have here.

Only now, every day she’s near me is torture.

Every smile she gives someone else is a punch to the gut.

And every time she brushes past me in the hallway, I have to remind myself she’s not mine.

Not yet.

REVIEW: A VERY GRUMPY VETERINARIAN (WOLF VALLEY: GRUMPS) BY SHAW HART 

A Very Grumpy Veterinarian by Shaw Hart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hart delivers the fire. Pearl and Wells are a sizzling, laugh out loud, bundle of emotion that sets off sparks. Romance with heart brings the heat.

View all my reviews

@authorshawhart

@1852media

#romancenovel #RomanceBook #SpicyRomance #AlphaMale #GrumpySunshine 

#TeaserWednesday

The Ugly Stick by Cori Lane releases on May 26th!

https://geni.us/TheUglyStick

Read With Kindle Unlimited

"Lane turns heartbreak into heartwarming with characters that are hard to resist.  From laugh out loud to touch the soul, The Ugly Stick turns a whisper of heartache into a shout of triumph." - (Isha C., Blogger, Reader, Reviewer - Hopeless Romantic)

When hockey’s grumpiest single dad returns to my hometown, he doesn’t even recognize me as the ugly duckling from his past.

I was the most forgettable girl in high school. You know the one – fat, braces, bad clothes, the works. And so painfully awkward that it never occurred to me to fight back, even when the other kids said I got beat with the ugly stick.

But ten years later, I’m a whole new woman. I’ve lost weight, gained confidence, and all I want is to enjoy the new life I’ve built and leave the past where it belongs.

Of course, that would be a whole lot easier if I didn’t just find out that big-time hockey star Caleb Stone, the leader of that crew of popular kids who made my high school life so miserable, is back home to play for the Stallions this year after losing his temper on the ice one too many times to stay in the big league.

It’s bad enough that he’s got the whole town talking, but now he’s eating at the diner where I work, shopping where I shop, and to top it off, he’s even living in my building!

Then I see him with his daughter. Daisy has Down syndrome and a smile that lights up a room. And as the sweet little girl and her single dad melt my heart, I start to wonder if maybe Caleb Stone isn’t the man I always thought he was.

So much for leaving the past behind me…

If you’re craving a clean, no spice romance with elements like:

a hockey celebrity returning to his home town

an ugly duckling becoming a swan

a single dad with a very special daughter

a cozy small-town setting

forced proximity

a grumpy sunshine duo you can’t help rooting for

REVIEW: THE UGLY STICK (STALLIONS HOCKEY) BY CORI LANE

The Ugly Stick: A Clean & Wholesome Hockey Romance by Cori Lane

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When you free your mind and open your heart, the true meaning of love will be revealed. Lane turns heartbreak into heartwarming with characters that are hard to resist. From laugh out loud to touch the soul, The Ugly Stick turns a whisper of heartache into a shout of triumph.

View all my reviews

#AuthorCoriLane #romancenovel #CleanRomance #HockeyRomance #SweetAndCleanBooks #WholesomeHockeyRomance

@1852media 

✨#TeaserWednesday

✨ THIS DRESS by @emmaleejaynewrites releasing May 27th!

Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…

💛Friends to Lovers

💛Grumpy x Sunshine

💛Age Gap

💛He Falls First

💛Workplace Romance

BLURB

Tavey has three rules for attending her coworker’s wedding:

1. Don’t make it weird

2. Don’t drink too much

3. Definitely don’t hit on Miller Evans

When she breaks all three before dessert, she’s sure she’s ruined her chances and their friendship.

Except Miller Evans—the quiet, steady, devastatingly competent man she’s been crushing on for years—turns out to want her too.

The only problem?

He doesn’t do impulsive.

He does forever.

✨INFLUENCERS: 

Sign up to review here: 

https://bit.ly/thisdresssignup 

Meet Emma Lee Jayne:

I write the kinds of books I want to read. Fast-paced books with lots of world-building, snarky heroines, and swoony heroes. I love story, pop culture, gossip, and baked goods. I’m a modern-day hippy and certified LEGO nerd.

I live in the Austin, Texas hill country, with my geeky husband and two extremely geeky kids. We have dogs, chickens, cats, and more LEGOs than should be allowed by law.

Connect with Emma Lee Jayne:

https://www.instagram.com/emmaleejaynewrites/

#teaser #emmaleejayne #workplaceromance @theauthor.agency

#TeaserWednesday

One In A Billion by Jennifer Bernard releases on June 2nd!

https://geni.us/OneInABillion

Available on All Platforms

First in a new series where meet-cutes go wrong… or exactly right.

Pilot Rory Baker was born to fly. Schlepping around Lincoln Kerr, a billionaire with an ego as big as his bank balance? Not so much. Especially when Lincoln suddenly demands they fly to Hawaii despite severe weather warnings. Rory’s perfect flying record is about to crash and burn—literally. It’s a miracle he survives. Even more miraculous that rescuers find him in the middle of a Hawaiian jungle, and one of them is the hottest woman he’s ever seen…who also happens to swing a machete like a champ. Rory makes a snap decision: pretend to be his boss until he knows who he can trust.

Mathilda Wheeler is living on borrowed time. An agreement with her parents has allowed her to live the carefree life of a grad student for nearly a decade, but she’s been avoiding a major decision—one that’s about to track her down all the way from England to a hidden research camp in a lush Hawaiian valley. Why now, when she’s finally found a man she could love? And why him, billionaire Lincoln Kerr, the very type she’s been avoiding? Though…Mathilda has to admit, he’s unlike any rich guy she’s ever met. For instance, even some of her fellow scientists seem to know more about Lincoln’s personal and professional life than the man himself.

Hidden identities, ancient bequests, intimate nights, a jackass billionaire…and speaking of, what was Lincoln Kerr’s super-secret trip to Hawaii all about, anyway? Rory and Mathilda have no idea. But judging by the sudden appearance of murder drones and masked commandos, clearly there’s more to this story than an accidental one-in-a-billion meet-cute.

@jenniferbernardbooks

@1852media

#contemporaryromance #JenniferBernard #RomCom #MeetCute #AccidentalRomance

BOOK HIGHLIGHTS FOR TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026.

 

#AudioAlert

#NarratorReveal

Carly Robyn has revealed the narrators for Fire and Ice!

Narrated by: Summer Morton & Keval Shah

Releasing July 28, 2026 

A spicy Fake Dating, Grumpy x Sunshine, hockey romance from bestselling author, Carly Robyn

One fake relationship, a delicious dash of chemistry, and a recipe that's bound to get messy.

Kennedy Caplan bakes the best cakes in town, but taking her business to the next level requires more than butter and grit. She’s determined to turn her dreams into something bigger, even if the odds—and her bank account—are stacked against her.

Cameron Davies, NHL goalie and resident grump, has perfected the art of shutting people out. He’s content with his small circle, until life throws him off balance: a toxic ex back in town, teammates who won’t stop hovering, and a spotlight that refuses to dim.

His solution is as practical as it is risky: a fake relationship with Kennedy—his sister’s friend and the one person he can’t seem to ignore. The arrangement gives her business the financial investment it desperately needs, and provides Cameron a buffer from his ex and overprotective teammates.

But what begins as a strategic arrangement soon blurs into late-night calls and sparks neither of them can deny. And the more they lean into the lie, they’re forced to face the question they’ve both been avoiding: what if this isn’t fake anymore?

Fire and Ice is a spicy hockey romance with heart, heat, humor, and a guaranteed HEA. This is the second book in the Boston Bobcats series and can be read as a standalone, although reading in order is recommended for the best experience!

Pre-order today!

Audible: https://bit.ly/49hQe5K

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3PsfPSU

Apple: https://bit.ly/4d9WLjY

B&N: https://bit.ly/4uC3fj0

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3ORUDpf

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4da4U8m

@carlyrobynauthor

@kevalshahaudio

#BostonBobcats #CarlyRobynAuthor #Hockey #FakeRelationship #valentineprlm @valentine_pr_

#AudioAlert

#NewRelease

HAPPY BOOK WEEK

Untamed by Luna Mason is now live on audio!

Narrated by: Sebastian York & Elle Sonali  

Are you ready for cowboys to enter the mafia underworld?

They can come after my ranch, my freedom, even my life. But, no one gets away with touching my wife…

Hunter Sterling.

People call me by different names depending on which version of me they know.
The owner of Sterling ranch.
The heir to a mafia empire.
The murderer the town wants caged.
I have ninety days to prove I didn’t kill the mother of my son or I lose everything.
I should be focused on survival.
Instead, I fall for the same girl my best friend does.
Lola Jackson. The city girl. My firefly.
I’m the one she runs to when he hurts her and I’m the one who punishes him for it.
And I make her my wife so that the Sterling name will keep her protected long after I’m gone.
But it was always more than just names on a piece of paper. It’s the one thing that makes me fight harder to stay alive.
When the truth is revealed, it doesn’t just shatter me, it forces me to choose between my empire… or my wife.
But they’ve all forgotten who they’re dealing with.
And now they’re going to learn what happens when a cowboy stops playing nice and a mafia boss goes to war.

Tropes Include:
- Single Dad
- City girl x Cowboy
- Romantic Suspense
- Rope Play
- Marriage for Protection
- A cute pet goat called Gary
- Found Family
- Possessive MMC

Untamed can be read as a standalone, but is the first book in an interconnected series, which will follow each of the Sterling Brothers.

Listen today!

Audible: https://bit.ly/4niDOAD

Amazon: https://bit.ly/4u8V0e8

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/48HuAI4 

@authorlunamason

@ellesonali 

#MafiaRomance #BadBoyGoodGirl #AntiHero #ForbiddenLove #valentineprlm @valentine_pr_

HAPPY BOOK WEEK: HART'S LANDING BY MELANIE HARLOW

 

🚨 #NewRelease 🚨

HART’S LANDING, a sweet and spicy small town romance about returning home by Melanie Harlow, is #nowavailable from Entangled Publishing ..... 💕

Ten years ago, Mila Ferguson ran from Hart’s Landing after one life-changing night.⁣

⁣

Now she’s back… and Everett McKean—the boy she never forgot—isn’t about to let history repeat itself. 🔥

⁣

#OneClick

🌸𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘁’𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆! 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 (𝗨𝗦 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆)!⁣

➙ https://harlow.pub/hartslanding⁣

"....a homecoming that breaks the soul wide open.  A beautiful mess becomes an enduring romance that turns heated temptation into a heartwarming second chance." - (Isha C., Blogger, Reader, Reviewer - Hopeless Romantic)

🍒he falls first⁣ 🍒friend’s brother⁣ 🍒return to small town⁣ 🍒what could have been⁣

❤️ Genre: Contemporary Romance

📘 Cover Designer: Elizabeth Turner Stokes, @estokescreative

Release Date: May 12, 2026

Four friends made a promise to live one night like it was their last.
That night changed everything.

Ten years ago, Mila Ferguson fled Hart’s Landing with a devastating fire, a stolen kiss, and a shattered circle of friends in her wake. But when a crisis brings her home, Mila just wants to get in and get out, unscathed by her mother’s constant criticism and unseen by her former crush, Everett McKean.

Only...Everett is everywhere. The boy Mila once loved is now the town’s scorching hot, beloved mayor. And when he’s not serving his constituents or running the family farm, Everett is taking advantage of his second chance with Mila―the one who got away.

As Mila reconnects to her roots and opens her heart, she discovers that coming home again isn’t about where you’ve been―it’s about who you’re brave enough to become. But when old wounds threaten to open after questions emerge about what really happened the night Mila left, it’s that bravery that will finally set her free.

Sexy, heartfelt, and steeped in small-town charm, Hart’s Landing is a story of forgiveness, friendship, and finding the family who loves you no matter how far you wander.

🌸𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘁’𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆! 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 (𝗨𝗦 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆)!⁣

➙ https://harlow.pub/hartslanding

📚 Add it to your Goodreads TBR: https://harlow.pub/HartsLanding-GR

REVIEW: HART'S LANDING BY MELANIE HARLOW

Hart's Landing by Melanie Harlow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hart's Landing is a homecoming that breaks the soul wide open. Harlow finds laughter within the heartache. Everett and Mila are a work in progress. From new beginnings to happy endings is a road littered with broken hearts and shattered dreams. A beautiful mess becomes an enduring romance that turns heated temptation into a heartwarming second chance.

View all my reviews

ABOUT MELANIE HARLOW

USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow writes sweet, sexy, feel-good romance. She likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. If she's not writing or reading, she's probably at Orangetheory or watching Schitt's Creek again. She lifts her glass to readers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Connect with Melanie

Website: www.melanieharlow.com

Amazon: https://harlow.pub/amazon

Bookbub: http://harlow.pub/bb

Goodreads: http://harlow.pub/goodreads

Facebook: http://harlow.pub/ap

Facebook Group: http://harlow.pub/harlots

Instagram: http://harlow.pub/insta

TikTok: https://harlow.pub/tiktok

Newsletter: http://harlow.pub/mh-news

#newrelease #hartslanding #melanieharlow #smalltownromance #romancebooks #bookishlove #entangledpublishing #clubharlow