Winter is coming, and this year will be a winter for the books…literally. So nestle inside a warm blanket on the couch, turn on the fire (or put the yule log on your tv,) and grab one of these novels when you need a mid-winter pick-me-up.
Mine to Protect by Emily A. Myers Alister Amato is rich, powerful, and feared by all who know the truth. He’s the Blood King, a mafia boss with a lust for blood and an infinite reach. Everything in me screams I should stay away. But when my Organized Crime Task Force is called to investigate the slaughter of a rival criminal syndicate, I know that isn’t an option. The way the men were killed is something I’ve only seen once before—eighteen years ago when my mother was murdered and I was orphaned. I don’t know how my mother wound up in the clutches of the mafia. But, after all this time, I will stop at nothing to discover the truth. Even if it means aligning myself with the dangerous, mysterious, and undeniably handsome, Blood King. They call me King, but I am nothing but a prisoner. The world of darkness I belong to has stolen everything from me—my mother, my sister, my happiness, my freedom. Most of all, it has stolen my ability to love. If it weren’t for my sister, Sophia, I would walk away from the throne I never wanted and let New Orleans burn. But even that would not set me free. My name and my blood have placed a target on my back and cursed anyone who stands beside me to the same fate. Which is why when FBI agent Ariana Valentine weasels her way into my life and heart, I do everything I can not to fall for her. My love is a death sentence. And, after everything this world has taken from me, I won’t let it take her too. Even if it means I have to walk away from the only woman I’ve ever allowed myself to love.
P.S. I Hate You by Jane Anthony He's a bad boy with a chip on his shoulder. She's a good girl with nothing left to lose. Brutal bully. Hotter than hell. MMA God. Jace Wilder owns Hell’s Bend High and everyone in it. Everyone except me that is. The girls love him, the guys want to be him . . . I just want to stay away from him. But when the death of my mother forces me into the Wilder home, I become his latest target. Only, I can't tell if he wants to torment me or take me to bed. He may think I'm easy prey, a poor little rich girl down on her luck, but looks can be deceiving. I can give as good as I get, and Jace Wilder will never see me coming.
The Promises We Make L.M. Dalgleish All it takes to change everything is a bottle of tequila and a game of truth or dare... I’m living the dream. Seven years after moving to LA with my cousin Beau, the two of us are reaping the rewards of being the lead guitarist and bassist for one of the fastest rising rock bands in the world. The only thing missing is the girl we left behind. Our best friend, Shae. So when I find out that things aren’t going so well for her back home, inviting her to stay with me and Beau for a few months is a no-brainer. Except, I don’t factor in what living with her will be like. Talking, laughing, seeing her wandering around in a bikini… Before I know it, feelings I’ve spent years suppressing are back. All it takes is one drunken night, and I cross a line I promised I never would. Because Shae’s off-limits, for more than one reason. If she and Beau find out the secret I’ve been keeping, the friendship that binds the three of us together might just go down in flames. And take my heart with it.
Bastard Boss by Lisa Renee Jones Tyler Hawk is a man with secrets and a dark past. A man who has known tragedy and betrayal. He wants for little, but what he wants is more power, a legacy that is his own, and not his father's. There are obstacles in his way, one of which is the scandal his father left behind and a will with certain demands. Behind the scenes he is a man on edge, and only one woman sees the truth hidden beneath his strong will and dominant rule. Bella is somehow demanding and submissive, fiery and yet sweet. She can give him everything he wants, she just doesn't know it, not yet, but she will. If she'll just say yes and sign on the dotted line.
Budding Attraction by Saxon James Ford - I’ve never thought much about Orson Naples. He’s a cute guy who I’d seen around town a few times, but then one day he up and left and didn’t reappear until a few years later. No one knows where he went or what he was doing, all this gossipy town knows is that he’s a widower, owns the florist, and is friends with that divorced group that hang out at the Killer Brew all the time. But then one day I step into his flower shop and go from rarely thinking about him, to him constantly being on my mind. There’s a restlessness to him that I’m dying to unlock answers to. And his eyes linger on me a little too long for a straight man … Orson - Ford Thomas is a pest. A delightful one. A tempting one. But I’m too old for games. The ones I’ve played in the past have always led me to trouble which is why I vowed to settle down and live a quiet life. So when Ford walks into my shop all uncontained energy and flirty quips in a pair of heavy work boots, I know I should show him the door. I don’t need fun. I don’t need experiences. Especially when those experiences have me questioning things I thought I knew about myself.