Boy meets girl. It’s the way romances usually begin . . . and while we all love a happy ending, it’s the #MeetCute that wins our hearts.
How did you two meet?
The #MeetCute Books each have a unique answer to that query. Some might make you swoon, others might make you giggle . . . and some may make you blush.
Twelve authors. Twelve stand-alone contemporary romance novels. Twelve stories that will make your heart beat a little faster.
Starting on June 27th, we'll release one #MeetCute Book a month for a year. The release months and featured authors (and titles if available) are below. Please visit all the authors and get to know them, if you're not already a fan--this is a treasure trove of romance talent right here!
Visit our website to find out about the latest releases, cover reveals and more! Like our Facebook page to keep up. And sign up for our #MeetCute Books Breaking News so that you never miss a release or update--or a special prize!
The first release under the #MeetCute Books logo is FIFTY FROGS by Tawdra Kandle. More information about this book will be on our website and newsletter on May 2nd . . . and the awesome cover will be revealed on May 16th.
(But psssst . . . it's already up for preorder on iBooks. You can read the blurb there!)
Now
available: Happy Endings, Diving Into Love, and For Love or Charity
Fall
in love with the strong men and smart women of McCallister’s Paradise!
At
their tropical island resort, the McCallister family works hard. Life in
Paradise should be perfect. After all, the place is great for a romantic
getaway. Unfortunately, the five McCallister siblings are still searching for
their happily ever afters… and romance always seems just out of reach.
But
determined hearts won’t be denied. And when love is on the line, a McCallister
doesn't fall halfway!
Handsome,
wealthy Quinn McCallister is the most eligible bachelor on McCallister’s
Paradise. Making his family's island resort a success is all that matters to
this workaholic. Everything changes when he meets the beautiful new massage therapist...
Larissa Benner
may have survived cancer, but its aftermath left plenty of problems besides the
ever-looming fear of relapse. Her family nearly went bankrupt paying for her life-saving
treatments. She desperately needs the full-time therapist position on the
island and the benefits that come with it. The last thing she wants is problems
with her boss, or a complicated office romance.
It’s hard
for her to resist Quinn’s charms—or his passionate side. However, Quinn is
married to his job. The choice between love and work is tough for him to juggle
and has Larissa scared. If the cancer recurs, could she count on him to be
there for her? Or would he leave her to face it alone, ending her relationship
in tragedy?
Parker McCallister is the playboy of the family, never having a care in the world beyond his next fling. When Sierra Burns nearly runs him down on horseback, she challenges him in ways he's never experienced. Now all he has to figure out is how to capture this beauty's heart, and this time it is about more than sex and fun for him.
Shortly after meeting Parker, disaster strikes for Sierra and her secret troubles are revealed. Now she needs his help in the worst way. The only problem is she wants to earn her place in life and have a chance to be the person she wants to be, not who her rich parents expect of her. Taking charity from Parker or his family would feel like a lie to her convictions, and she doesn't want dating him to be a condition of accepting their help.
Despite her hesitations, Parker's charms and charisma are hard to resist. Just when she gives up fighting against the attraction and allows herself to hope for love, his past foists a surprise on the new couple and throws Sierra's life out of balance...again.
Sydney
McCallister isn't looking for love, especially not from an overbearing man
demanding money for his charity after missing the cutoff date for proposals.
Doesn't Matthew Coleson realize his organization isn't the only one hoping for
a grant from the McCallister family? Tired of dealing with the constant stream
of angry people and feeling terribly homesick besides, Sydney wonders if she
should give up on New York and head back to the family's island resort.
When Sydney's office is trashed and she receives a threatening message, she's
certain Matt must be responsible. After confronting him, however, she learns
there is more to this man than is apparent at first glance. There's
something about his eyes... besides, who can resist a man who helps homeless
people get back on their feet? He seems to truly care about people and swears
he would never hurt anyone.
Together,
they work to uncover the identity of the person threatening Sydney, and Matt
seems determined to keep her safe. Questions remain for her, despite the
excitement Matt brings to her life... Does he care about her for herself, or is
he more interested in her family money and what that could mean for his
charity?
Love's Ride - Book 4 and Cooking Up Love - Book 5 coming soon!
About the Author:
Best-selling author Chantel Rhondeau once thought a great mystery or fantasy book with strong romantic themes was the highest level of reading bliss. After reading her first romantic suspense novel, she never looked back. Chantel is author of six romantic suspense novels, a Christmas novella, and the new McCallister’s Paradise series. She lives in the western United States, and when she's not writing she loves playing cards with her family, bowling on leagues, and snuggling with her lazy kitties.
Fame, fortune and a future paved with rock 'n roll gold - Blaise Nolan has it all. With his brooding good looks, haunting voice and troubled lyrics of a soul gone lost, it's no wonder his band Finding Nolan has been climbing the music charts with back to back hits. Only Blaise didn't wind up brooding, haunted and lost by accident...
Avalon Jennison has been the girl next door since she was five. The best friend since she was eight. The band manager since she was sixteen, and the keeper of his secrets always. Ava's been there every step of the way, helping Blaise live his dreams and keep his nightmares at bay. But the years of putting Blaise's needs above her own are about to be over.
Except, Blaise has one secret even Ava doesn't know...and it could be the thing that breaks her heart completely, or finally puts it back together.
**CONTENT WARNING ~ ADULT LANGUAGE**
CLICK IMAGE TO LISTEN
CLICK IMAGE TO SEE BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGES
CLICK IMAGE TO READ INTERVIEW
Chapter 1
Somewhere in the black abyss that surrounded me, I heard my phone ringing.
“Hello?”
Silence. I sat up and blinked several times trying to wake up and adjust my eyes to the darkness.
“Is anyone there?”
I heard someone swear under their breath.
Then, “Ava? I’m lost. I need you to come and find me.”
Automatically my eyes swept the room until they caught on the bright red numerals of the standard hotel alarm clock.
“Shit, Blaise. It’s fucking four o’clock in the morning.” I was already peeling back the warmth of my comforter and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. This was so typical. “What are you looking at right now?”
“Um, there’s a big green stripe on the wall. It’s really fucking ugly.” He was doing his wheezy drunk laugh, the one I hated. On the plus side, at least I knew he was in the building. The halls of the hotel were lined with a thick olive colored band over a shimmering champagne. It was tacky as hell and reeked of expensive, but then those were the types of places we were staying in these days.
“Are there any doors around? Any numbers on the walls?” I was busy pulling on a pair of sweats more suitable for roaming the hotel at night than the boxer shorts I was wearing.
“No, no numbers.” Then he groaned loudly and I heard the distinct sound of rushing liquids.
“Are you taking a piss right now?!” I slid out of my sweats again. I knew exactly where he was.
“No.” Then the undeniable sound of a zipper followed.
“Just don’t move. I’ll be right there.” I was already making my way through the penthouse suite we were staying in and headed straight for the doors. When I pulled them open, there was Blaise looking all kinds of busted and standing right beside one of the two extremely large flower pots placed on each side of the double doors.
I glanced up at the security cameras and gave an apologetic smile before turning my attention back onto Blaise.
“You’re pathetic,” I grumbled as I held the door open and stepped aside for him to stumble in.
“You’re amazing.” He grinned sheepishly as he went by.
“Too bad you won’t remember that in the morning.” I sighed. “Come on. You need a shower. You smell like a fucking whorehouse.”
I took Blaise’s hand and started to lead the way to the bathroom. Considering he’d been standing right outside of the suite and had been unable to find it, it was highly unlikely he’d be able to locate the shower if left to his own devices.
“Careful,” I hissed, snatching away the floor lamp he had randomly selected to use as a walking stick on his way through the living room. “Keep it up and you’ll wake the guys.” After all, the penthouse suite had been booked for the entire band. Not just the lead singer.
It had all started in my garage seven years ago. This was after nearly three years of my pushing Blaise to bring his crazy brilliant talent out of hiding. When he finally did, he found three guys to do it with. Derek Sills on the guitar, Royce Lemmi on Bass and Angel Hollis on Drums. Together they made up what was now known worldwide as Finding Nolan.
The name was laughable really since it was a running joke that Blaise was always missing. Back in high school he’d get lost in thought and wander off track somewhere and wind up sitting on some bus stop bench with no recollection of having walked there. These days it was mostly due to alcohol. Either way, it seemed that as long as I could remember, I had been stuck with the task of finding Nolan. Blaise Nolan that is. People had been finding the band all on their own ever since word of their music started making the rounds back in our junior year.
Nights like tonight I wondered if fame had really been a good thing for Blaise. Music, sure. Music was a part of him, the best part probably, but celebrity and success had proven more challenging than I’d expected. Maybe because I’d foolishly believed that a future worth looking toward would keep Blaise from always facing back. I’d been wrong. If anything, his past seemed to haunt him more the closer he got to getting everything he’d ever wanted.
“Stop that.” This time he was holding a glass candle holder up to his mouth like a trumpet. I caught him just before he was about to blow. “Hands in your pockets, now!”
“I’d rather put them in your pockets.” He leered at me, his eyes dropping down to my ass.
“You’re shit out of luck. I don’t have any.” I shook my head in disgust. Booze brought out the worst in him.
“No problem.” Before I knew what was happening, I could feel his cold clammy hands slide into the back of my pants.
“What the fuck, Blaise?” I spun around and shoved him hard in the chest. He lost his balance and went tumbling over the edge of the couch, over the cushions and then rolled onto the floor where his face made impact with the coffee table and brought him to a stop.
“Shit, Avalon. I think I’m bleeding.” He was cupping his left eyebrow with his hand.
Fucking fantastic.
“Come on.” I reached for his free arm and started dragging him to his feet. It was a fucking miracle Royce hadn’t woken up yet. He slept about as soundly as a fireman on duty.
Then, finally, we were in the master bedroom with the door shut behind us. I gently moved his hand to check his eye. He automatically went to put it back and I slapped it out of the way. “Let me take a look at it, you big baby.”
He frowned, but stopped moving long enough for me to see that it was a minor scrape.
“You’ll live. Now then, let’s get you hosed down.” I pointed toward the attached bath. It had a huge walk-in shower with multiple massaging shower heads I’d been looking forward to exploring. Only I had hoped it would be under very different circumstances.
Blaise tripped his way through the doorway, gradually stripping out of his clothes as he went. The pants came off easy enough, but his shirt wound up stuck around his head. He looked like a four year old still learning to undress himself.
“Hang on,” I grumbled as I went to yank the impromptu blindfold off of his head. I’d seen him naked about a million times, so it wasn’t the sight of his bare ass that struck me when he turned around to step into the shower. It was the long, bloody scratches trailing down his back.
“Have a good time tonight?” I asked dryly as I reached in to start the shower for him.
“Uh-huh.” His eyes were closed as he let the hot water run over him.
Now that he was standing still, I also noticed several red marks on his chest. Teeth marks. Why the hell he always sought out women who drew blood for pleasure, I’d never understand. It was an even bigger miracle that the frequent checkups he required due to his non-stop extracurricular activities, continued to come back clean. Apparently even in the midst of a drunken stupor, Blaise always remembered to strap on a condom.
Tired and wasted, his remaining energy was draining fast and he was already resting the back of his head along the tile to keep him steady.
I quickly pulled off my own t-shirt and climbed into the shower still wearing my bra and boxers. The steam and water made the materials cling to my skin almost instantly, a feeling I didn’t particularly care for.
“Hold out your hands.”
He followed orders and I squirted a huge dose of shower gel into both of them. “Alright, now wash. Start at the top.” At least that way, even if he wasn’t thorough, the soapy water would travel down and wash the rest of him by default.
While he busied himself with running his hands in small circles over his chest over and over again, I reached for the shampoo. His hair always smelled the worst after nights like these. The stale smoke from the bars, mixed with whatever rancid perfume his groupie of the night was drenched in and the traces of liquor combed into his hair via his fingers, made for a wretched combination.
I massaged his scalp and dark brown hair thoroughly, all the while checking repeatedly to make sure he was still awake. Then, after the final rinse off, we were done at last.
With a towel draped around his hips, I walked Blaise over to the king sized bed and laid him down on top of the covers. He’d get hot in two seconds flat and kick them off anyway if I bothered tucking him in. Blaise was asleep before he even hit the pillow.
I kissed the top of his head, which once again smelled like only him, and proceeded to tiptoe from the room. I had barely taken two steps when I felt his hand clasp my wrist.
“Stay,” he whispered. “Please, Ava.”
I looked down at my wet shorts and soaked bra and exhaled loudly. “Okay, I’ll stay.”
He scooted himself backward, making room for me. I reached into his suitcase closest to the bed and pulled out the first T-shirt I could find, slipped it over my head and then shimmied out of my wet bra and boxers. The wet panties I’d just have to live with.
I settled onto the bed beside him while he wrapped both arms around me tightly like I was his security blanky. Which, essentially, was exactly what I was to Blaise.
I took a deep breath of surrender and reached up to softly stroke his hair the way I knew he liked it. Then I watched as he fell into the same restless sleep that plagued him night after night.
Between both of our addictions, neither one of us ever seemed to be at peace anymore. The only question was, which one of us would get sober first? And how would the other survive when we did?
***
Ava. God she smelled good. Why didn’t all women smell like this? Melissa definitely had not smelled like this. Or had it been Melanie? Shit. Who fucking knew? I could barely remember what her face looked like, much less her name. But I definitely hadn’t forgotten the stench of her perfume or the cigarettes. Why did they all fucking smoke anyway?
None of that had mattered though. It never mattered. Not until after. Not until Ava showed up to clean me up again. One of these days she wouldn’t show and I knew it. Maybe that’s what I was waiting for. Maybe that’s why I was doing it.
Get your HERO fix with Blaise and THEN SOME for only 99Cents!!
Nine Full-Length Novels, 1 Novella, and 1 Short Story from NY Times, USA Today, National and International Bestselling Authors.
We all need a hero! Preferably a hot, muscled, romantic one who's not afraid to fight for the woman he loves. From firefighters to athletes, and artists to rockers, these swoon-worthy heroes will keep you on your toes and weak in your knees. Slip into a reading adventure that will have you panting for more: fun, steam, and thrills.
Aroused – Jade Kerrion
Recently divorced, Dr. Vera Rios is too busy being a single parent to look for love. Along comes a man who cherishes her, adores her daughter, and helps her find her sexy groove. The only problem: He’s an escort, with far too many secrets. Will love cost Vera her daughter’s safety?
Blazing Love – Chantel Rhondeau
Laura’s attempting to rebuild her life after grieving for her murdered fiancé. Fireman Thayne is the most eligible bachelor in Sayle—strong, loyal, and sexy as hell. He’s determined to show Laura how to love again, but an arsonist ups the stakes, risking more than their romance.
Roaring Hot! –Rachelle Ayala
Motorcycle racer Teo Alexiou cooks up a reality show to convince actress Amy Suzuki to play at being his girlfriend. But chemistry ignites and explodes their carefully scripted act. When Teo is injured on the track, he is left wondering if the reality show portrayed skillful acting or true love.
The Right Pitch – Lyssa Layne
Colie Adger is a rookie athletic trainer and best friends with Grant Adamson, a veteran pitcher. Colie’s elated when big time pitcher Jace Richards, her former crush, comes back into her life. Will Grant step back while Colie figures out which man has the right pitch?
The Art of Love- Michele Shriver
After watching her parents’ marriage crumble, jewelry artist Chelsea Matthews doesn’t believe in love. Painter Hayden Shaw sets out to show Chelsea the art of love and that good guys do exist, but a gallery curator with an agenda of her own threatens their happiness and future dreams.
Behind the Altar – P.C. Zick
All seems perfect in Leah’s life until tattoo artist Dean rides his Harley into her heart. Dean is drawn to Leah’s natural beauty and genuine goodness, but Leah’s engagement to Dean’s brother stands in the way. The more they fight the attraction, the harder it is to stay apart.
Lost Avalon - K.S. Thomas
Rockstar Blaise has it all with his brooding good looks, haunting voice and troubled lyrics of a soul gone lost. Only Blaise didn’t wind up brooding, haunted and lost by accident...
Avalon has been the girl next door, the band manager, and the keeper of his secrets always. But Blaise has one secret even Ava doesn’t know.
Second Shield - Stacy Eaton
When Agent Drew Bradley goes undercover to find an officer gone rogue, he finds Detective Sergeant Mackenzie McAllister. Mack is the epitome of control, but not around the young, sexy rookie. Can Drew solve the case before Mack loses her cool?
Amber Rules – Melinda Curtis
Life coach Amber Rules is assigned is to improve the game of Evan Oliver, one of the biggest bad-asses in the NBA. Too bad Amber knows nothing about basketball. Too bad Even Oliver is determined to do things his own way, especially when it comes to teaching Amber a new set of rules.
Wild Irish Ride – Jennifer Saints
Given a second chance at forbidden love, Alexi plunges headlong into the passion Jesse ignites. To Jesse, love is an overrated word for getting ones needs met, and he’ll gladly take Alexi on the ride of her life. Maybe then, he can get her out of his head. But the forces are at work again and, this time, may cost them their lives.
Bonus Story: How You Remind Me – Julie Leto
Sexy guitarist Shaw Tyler knows lawyer Kate Schaffer’s personal fantasies. After a scary black-out, Kate cleaned up her act and remembers nothing. Who is the man who acts like he knows exactly what she wants, and is she willing to find out?
