Sometimes love isn’t part of the plan. Sometimes it’s the backup plan.
Lucas Hale built his entire life around football.
The franchise quarterback.
The GOAT.
The man everyone on his team counts on.
Recovering from a devastating shoulder injury, the veteran quarterback signs with the Lone Star Rebels for one last chance to prove he still belongs in the league.
There’s just one problem—Dr. Emery Porter.
The Rebels’ new injury specialist isn’t impressed by Lucas’s charm—or his determination to push through pain.
She’s seen the scans.
She knows the damage.
And if she clears him to play, it might mean destroying his career for good.
But the more time they spend together, the more dangerous everything becomes.
For Emery’s career.
For Lucas’s future.
And the harder it becomes to remember where professional boundaries end—and where love begins.
Because if Lucas keeps playing, he could lose everything.
And if Emery stops him . . . she might lose the man she’s fallen for.
Bromberg brings the feels to complicated. Emotion takes a number of detours to happily ever after. Swann and Greenfield helm a heartbreaker with heartwarming tendencies. From endearing to enticing, Lucas and Emery are an addiction that breaks the soul wide open.
Find out what Tilda and Hadrian's next case will be. 🔎
Unpredictable is the name of the game. Wren and Beckett are one surprise after another. Burke dives into the shadows of temptation and intrigue to deliver captivating. A Whisper in Darkness is a dance of danger too haunting to walk away from.
From USA Today Bestselling Author Darcy Burke comes an immersive Victorian mystery series featuring a strong, determined investigator, Miss Matilda Wren, and her partner in solving crimes, Hadrian Becket, the Earl of Ravenhurst who, after a near death experience, suffers visions that make him question his sanity. From the meanest streets of London’s east end to the glittering ballrooms of Mayfair, join Tilda and Hadrian as they work together to answer unending questions and secure justice.
Tilda and Hadrian are hired to find a missing heiress and must navigate London High Society. Will their investigation once again lead to a murder?
Unpredictable is the name of the game. Wren and Beckett are one surprise after another. Burke dives into the shadows of temptation and intrigue to deliver captivating. A Whisper in Darkness is a dance of danger too haunting to walk away from.
A breakup on the way to a Fourth of July getaway was supposed to be the end for Merritt and Ben until a strange accident sends them five years into a future neither of them remembers. No longer together and surrounded by lives that have shifted in unexpected ways, Merritt and Ben must piece together what went wrong between them and their once-tight friend group. As old feelings reignite and hidden truths are exposed, the past and present collide in ways they never anticipated. Readers who enjoy heartfelt second-chance romances, stories with emotional time slips, and a love that refuses to fade will devour Five Summers from Now, a steamy new romance from Michelle Dayton.
They were supposed to spend the Fourth of July weekend with their closest friends—fireworks, laughter, traditions. Instead, Merritt Sullivan and Ben Samuels broke up on the drive to the lake, before the first spark lit the sky.
But after a strange accident on the dock, they wake up to find that everything’s changed. It’s five years later. They’re no longer a couple. Their friends’ lives have shifted in ways they never saw coming. Careers, relationships, even loyalties have rearranged—some for the better, some painfully worse. And neither of them remembers the years in between.
Forced to navigate a future they don’t recall, Merritt and Ben must work together to understand what fractured not only their relationship, but their entire friend group. The only way back—if going back is even possible—is to face the heartbreak they once tried to outrun.
As old feelings resurface and new truths come to light, they’ll have to decide: is the future worth keeping…or worth rewriting?
Tears formed and slid down my cheeks. I dashed them away with one hand, silent, not wanting to break the spell. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ben’s right hand jerk in my direction as if he wanted to touch me, needed to touch me, but then realized he shouldn’t.
Oh, to hell with it.
I reached over, grabbed his hand, and pulled it to my heart. I bent my head and pressed my lips to it. He’d said his brother’s name to me, for the first time ever.
A broken sound escaped his mouth at the feel of my lips on his skin. The next thing I knew, he was pulling me into his arms, the tight confines of the car be damned.
He pushed the driver’s side seat back, settled me onto his lap sideways, and held on to me for dear life, panting into my neck.
“It’s okay,” I murmured, winding my arms around his neck and stroking through the hair on the back of his head. “It’s okay.”
I closed my eyes and breathed him in, the Downy fabric softener and chlorine scent of my Ben. His arms tightened around my waist, and I let myself luxuriate in his embrace. God, I hadn’t felt this safe in ages. I’d been so angry with him for so long. Even when we hugged, it was perfunctory and quick. I hadn’t let myself cling or need him. Hadn’t let him hold me or need me.
I’d taken his hand because he needed comfort. We both did. This was his body’s response to my earlier apology. He didn’t have the words, so holding me like this was his way of showing me he forgave me.
But now, the embrace was changing for me. It was becoming about need. All about need. I needed to feel his chest expand and contract, needed to feel his breath against my bare neck, needed his hands tugging on the strands of my hair.
I was suddenly hot all over, despite the air-conditioning. It’d been so many months since he’d touched me, and even if this embrace was simply in the spirit of forgiveness and comfort, my body was responding in a very not-PG way.
“Merritt,” Ben whispered.
I pulled my face back, brushing my cheek against his on my way to eye contact.
He stared up at me, at my mouth, his pupils expanding and obliterating the blue. When I sucked in my bottom lip, he groaned in the back of his throat. “If you don’t want to be kissed, you better get the hell off my lap.”
Instead, I gripped the seat behind his shoulders and used it as a brace as I twisted my body upright and carefully brought my right leg over to straddle him.
Later, I’d probably kick myself for this. Escalating things with Ben at this moment made about as much sense as the defeat of the aliens in Independence Day, but common sense didn’t stand a chance against the desire in Ben’s eyes, my racing heart, and the singing sense of rightness in my veins every time his mouth was on mine.
Ben’s body was taut with restraint as he waited for my right knee to find purchase on the seat cushion between him and the door. The very instant my weight stabilized, he cupped the back of my neck and drew my face to his, claiming my mouth.
About Michelle Dayton
There are only three things Michelle Dayton loves more than sexy and suspenseful novels: her family, the city of Chicago, and Mr. Darcy. Michelle dreams of a year of world travel – as long as the trip would include weeks and weeks of beach time. As a bourbon lover and unabashed wine snob, Michelle thinks heaven is discussing a good book over an adult beverage.
A ruthless bodyguard sworn to protect a woman whose family is his sworn enemy finds his loyalty tested when forced proximity turns hatred into a dangerous attraction. As enemies close in and the line between desire and duty blurs, protecting her could mean betraying everything he’s ever known. Readers who enjoy forbidden, forced proximity romances with touch-her-and-die vibes will love The Protection Agreement by A. Akinosho, a steamy enemies-to-lovers, billionaire, bodyguard romance.
When a threat puts her life in danger, there’s only one man capable of protecting her—a ruthless bodyguard with a fearsome reputation and loyalty carved into his bones. The problem? His family and hers are sworn enemies. And he learned to hate her last name long before he ever knew her.
This is duty.
A contract.
Nothing more.
Shared space. Constant protection.
No attachment. No temptation.
Forced proximity turns restraint into tension. Hatred softens. Awareness sharpens. Desire becomes impossible to ignore.
She’s a damsel in distress who refuses to be fragile. He’s a possessive protector bound by duty, fighting feelings he has no right to claim. Every glance is forbidden. Every moment together is a betrayal written in silence.
As enemies close in and pressure mounts, distance becomes impossible.
Because the longer he stands between her and danger, the harder it is to remember where duty ends—and desire begins.
He was sworn to keep her alive.
He just wasn’t prepared for what it would cost him.
Lexi returns from her room and takes the seat next to me. I’ve concluded that we are fighting a losing battle. It’s just a matter of time before the attraction between us takes over and its fiery flame burns through us. We are quiet, our eyes are trained on the movie even as I’m provocatively attune to her presence, her allure is seeping into every nook and cranny of my being. It doesn’t take long before she leans into me. I don’t move out of her reach. She’s soft and warm in my arms and my whole being is responding to her closeness. I need to get her in bed. I move her head from my shoulder.
“Hmm,” she groans. “Kiss me, Bruce,” she whispers. I pause for a moment, convinced I didn’t hear her.
“What did you say?” I ask, betting she doesn’t realize what she asked of me.
“Kiss me, Bruce,” she says, her voice barely audible. “I want you to kiss me. I took my meds.“ A chuckle escapes her “Be aware that I may not remember in the morning, so make it good so I can dream of you.” She grins, though a bit out of it.
I want her to remember, and I shouldn’t grant her request, but I’ve been dying to kiss her, so who am I to deny her request especially when she wants to dream of me. I shift positions so she’s on her back and I kiss her lips gently and she opens her mouth to let me in. I kiss her with the fervor of a starved man that I am. Her tongue swirls sweetly with mine. She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me closer and deeper to her. My tongue is seeking every inch of her mouth, my body is intensely aroused. A soft moan escapes her, it sends a charge through my body.
I can probably make love to her now and she wouldn’t stop me, but I also want her sober and consenting plus I want her to always remember us, every touch, every kiss and every thrust of me inside her. I slowly pull away. Breaking the sweet feel of our kiss.
Fuck, I just kissed Jonah’s girl and I fucking like it.
She smiles. “Goodnight, Bruce.”
She turns to her side and sleeps like she didn’t just break through every resistance shield of mine. I sigh because looking at her, I want more. I feel it in the blood thumping in my veins. My ragged breath that I fucking need to control. My hands running through my hair in exasperation of what I’ve just done. I know there’s no going back now.
Leaning down, I lift her in my arms. She giggles like a little girl. I should leave her in her room, but I’ve a need for her closeness, I can’t explain or control. I move slowly with her asleep in my arms and place her gently in my bed. She curls to her side and sleeps off. I sit on the bed for a moment watching her, “she can’t leave” the voice that slams in my head. Just as Declan’s words a while ago “when you kiss the one, you never want another” I feel the weight of what I’ve done. Kissed the one but she belongs to another man and not just any man. A man that hates my guts, paid me to keep her safe and sternly warned me not to touch her. I now know why, he made that request because he knows once I did.
He and I would be at war. Yet I find myself willing to go to war for her. Damn it
I move closer and kiss her temple, my palm gently touching her face. A giggle escapes her and I wonder if she’s dreaming of me. I cover her and get off the bed. I go into the bathroom to shower and relieve the monster awakening between my legs. I get temporary relief. Wrapping my towel around my waist. I peep to check on her. She’s knocked out. I put sleeping pants on and get in bed with her, pulling her into my arms and she doesn’t resist.
About A. Akinosho
A. Akinosho lives in her own little nest in Illinois. An avid reader and enjoy reading thrillers, suspense, and romance novels (partial to the romance genre). When she's not reading or keeping up with life, she enjoys writing and creating twists to stories. She loves writing about diverse characters, friendship, and overcoming challenges through what is perceived as a weakness.
Victor Reed has crushed opponents on the ice for over a decade—but nothing knocks the grumpy, foul-mouthed defenseman off his game like being forced to share his off-season home with his four-year-old whirlwind niece, Pip…and her maddeningly cheerful nanny.
Belle is all sunshine and sparkles, the kind of woman who hums while she folds laundry and believes every problem can be solved with kindness. Victor’s convinced she was sent to torment him—until she downloads a dating app and starts lining up dates with men who are absolutely wrong for her.
He’s not jealous. Definitely not.
He’s just…protective. And if he “accidentally” scares off a few of her suitors? Well, someone has to keep her safe.
But when Belle’s big heart starts drifting out of his orbit, Victor is forced to face the truth: the Baltimore Stingrays’ resident beast has fallen for his beauty. And if he doesn’t change his game fast, he might lose the only woman who’s ever made his house—and his life—feel like home.
Coming soon to retailers, At First Sight by Renee Harless ...
Lark Carrington came to Coral Bell Cove for a fresh start. A fading inn, a quiet life, and a chance to rebuild something steady after everything she’s lost. She didn’t expect her first real connection to come in the middle of chaos.
Holt Wright is used to being underestimated—long before he ever put on a uniform. The easygoing one. The goofball. The brother no one expected much from. Until he became a firefighter. Now, when the alarm sounds, he’s the one people trust when it matters most.
The one who shows up.
The one who stays.
Even for her.
What begins as a single moment—smoke, heat, and the steady presence of the man who pulled her back from the edge—turns into something neither of them can ignore. Long days restoring the Carrington Inn. Late nights that feel a little too honest. A connection that builds slowly… and burns deeper than either of them expected.
Because Lark doesn’t trust easily. And Holt is still learning what it means to be the man people finally believe in.
And when the past Lark tried to outrun starts to catch up with her… they’ll have to decide if this is just a spark—or something worth risking everything for.
At First Spark is a tender, slow-burn small-town romance about healing, showing up, and discovering that sometimes the person who saves you… is the one you choose to stay for.
I nervously tucked on my sleeve. “Yes, but I’m wearing the school’s.”
“I override the school’s.”
Since everyone’s attention was on us, I hushed my voice so only he could hear. “Arisono said I only have one more strike before I’m expelled.”
Enzo gripped the back of my chair, yanking it back. “Up.”
My knees hit the table. “What?”
“Up,” he spat, throwing a clean shirt on my lap.
One of his black shirts.
I crossed my arms, refusing to be humiliated in front of my peers again.
But like always, I should’ve remembered who I was dealing with.
Enzo snatched the shirt from my lap, threw it over his shoulder, and reached past me. Someone gasped at our table when he grabbed a water flute and proceeded to pour it over my head.
Cold water struck my face, stealing my breath.
I choked on my spit, unable to speak, and ice cubes landed on my skirt. A few hit my bare knees. I blinked away tears, my eyelashes sticking together, as water ran down my chin.
Everything in the room froze.
Every sound dulled.
Every movement slowed.
Students, teachers, servers. No one made a move.
Enzo leaned in to brush his lips along my ear. “Uh-oh, Blair. Looks like you’re in need of a dry shirt.”
I wiped water from my forehead to hide my embarrassment.
His voice grew more menacing. “If you don’t get up and follow me right fucking now, I’ll make you strip out of that shirt in front of everyone and change into mine.” He clicked his tongue. “You know I don’t make empty threats.”
The Backup Plan by K. Bromberg
