Tag: 2

Posted in Book Tours

Puck Me It’s Christmas

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Puck Me It’s Christmas!
Alina Jacobs
(Maplewood Falls, )
Publication date: November 18th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

When you’re a blacklisted preschool teacher and somehow end up coaching the worst team in the NHL, it’s shaping up to be the crappiest Christmas ever.
We’re adding an NHL head-coaching job to the Yule log dumpster fire of my holiday season.
I lost my apartment and had to move back home for the holidays.
My mom sneaks into my bedroom to watch me sleep because she “can’t help it. I missed my little girl so much, Ellie!”
And my day-drinking granny has declared herself the team’s new equipment manager so she can ogle hockey butts in the locker room.
The last thing I need is twenty-two adult toddlers with blades on their feet and bad attitudes for Christmas.

Captain Fletcher Sullivan? He’s the worst, with his muscles and his sneer, turning every practice into The Grinch on Ice.
Between breaking up fights, hosting snack time, and bailing my goalie out of jail, I have no time for Christmas cheer—or for the cocky, absurdly ripped team captain who thinks I don’t belong in the NHL.

Yes, I played on the women’s national hockey team.
Yes, I lift weights.
And yes, I will pick up a six-four hockey player and put him in time-out if he doesn’t follow directions.
There’s no Christmas miracle coming to save us. We lose. A lot.

But armed with Goldfish crackers and juice boxes, I’m going to turn this team of ragtag hockey players into winners.
Even if it turns me into the Grinch.
Or worse—makes me fall for the enemy.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“Girl, they are throwing you off a glass cliff.”

“I don’t want everyone to blame me when we get creamed.” I sink in my chair.

My dad kneels in front of me and grabs my hand. “Exactly! So do the press conference, say you have another job offer, and this will all be over.”

“No wonder they kept trading your ass around when you were a goalie!” Granny Murray makes a rude noise. “You’re a quitter and a narc.”

Angie comes in with my phone that’s ringing and ringing.

I don’t recognize the number, though it’s a Maplewood Falls area code.

“It’s the press.” Angie waves the phone at me. “Tell them you won’t do interviews unless they pay you.”

“Ooh! Yeah, then we can go shopping,” Maxine squeals.

“Aunt Babs already bought you clothes, sweetie.” Mom smooths my hair down.

“Don’t talk to the press,” my dad begs.

“Nate,” my mom tells him, “let me make you some herbal tea.”

“Food!” my little brothers wail.

“For God’s sake,” my dad curses.

I answer the phone.

“Speaker,” Maxie whispers. “Put it on speaker.”

“Hello?” My voice is hesitant.

A loud, irritated male sigh echoes around the kitchen as everyone watches breathlessly. “Candy Cane?” I can practically hear Fletcher roll his eyes. “I mean, Coach Candy Cane.”

I grimace. “About that…”

“You better not be flaking out,” the deep voice warns. “You have the keys. We’re freezing our nuts off out here.”

Author Bio:

I write the kind of books I love—romantic comedies featuring snarly guys with hearts of gold, kick-ass heroines, and a swoon-worthy happily ever after! Also wine. And cupcakes.

When I’m not writing I can be found drinking tea, surrounded by my massive to-be-read pile! So many books…

You can connect with me on social media or find information on my books at my website.

Sign up for my newsletter so that you can get information about new releases, giveaways, and more!

http://alinajacobs.com/mailinglist.html

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter


GIVEAWAY!

Puck Me It’s Christmas! Blitz

—

Posted in Book Tours

Lovely Torment

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Lovely Torment
Kimberly Quinn
(Savage Hearts Syndicate, )
Publication date: November 18th 2025
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance, Suspense

He’s cold, calculating, and lethal. A killer.

He’s also my hero.
Finn Decker rescued me from a life in captivity, but not out of mercy. I’m his key to destroying the Bratva leader who shattered both our lives. A pawn in his ruthless game of vengeance.

I should be afraid. I should run.

Instead, I’m drawn to the darkness in his eyes, the craving he ignites, and the promise of retribution he offers. And I realize—I want him to use me in ways that have nothing to do with revenge.
Only, it’s hard to tell if I’m his leverage, his weakness, or something far more dangerous.
His.
Because in a war this savage, there’s no room for mistakes.
Or love.

Goodreads / Purchase

—

EXCERPT:

A thrill shot through me.

It was sharp and vivid, and suddenly, I was drowning in him. In his heat, in his scent, in the way his body caged mine like he was the only thing keeping me upright.

“Don’t lie,” he growled. “You can be pissed at me. You can be scared. You can feel whatever the fuck you want. But don’t pretend you don’t want something more from me. You’ve been clinging to me since the day I took you out of Rykov’s house.”

“Well, I wasn’t angry before.” I lifted my chin and let all my irritation flow into the glare I gave at him. “But now? Yeah. Now, I am.”

“Good. Get angry for a change. Stand up for yourself. Prove you’re not just a victim looking for a goddamn savior.”

“You think that’s what I want from you? That I’m so weak and desperate I can’t stand on my own?” The words tumbled out, fueled by a courage I didn’t recognize. A fire I’d never dared stoke before.

“No, Lena,” he growled. “I think you’re a thousand times stronger than you know. And I think if you knew me at all, you’d understand why friendship isn’t something I can give you.”

“But you’re friends with Robin.”

“I don’t want to fuck Robin.” His voice was rough. Like the words had clawed their way up his throat.

And they stunned me.

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Was I even still breathing?

He twisted my arm higher up my back—the dull pinch of it, reminding me I was at his mercy. “I can’t be your friend. Because every time you get close, it gets harder to hold back. Harder to pretend I’m not about to lose my fucking mind.”

His hold loosened, just slightly, like he was about to let me go. But before I could process it, his fingers flexed, and in a swift, merciless motion, he’d wrenched my other arm behind my back, pinning both wrists in one unyielding hand.

“You want something safe. Someone stable. But that’s not who I am.” His free hand slid up to wrap around my throat, his fingers pressing into the side of my neck. “This is the kind of man I am.”

And God, despite the edge of fear, despite the voice in my head telling me to run, my panties were soaked.

He leaned in, his mouth hovering at my ear and breath rough against my skin. “What I want is to tie you up and then take you apart. Slowly. Thoroughly. Until you forget every man who ever came before me. I want to ruin you for anyone that isn’t me. Then build you back up from the wreckage. Stronger. Fiercer. Like the queen I already see when I look at you.”

He paused, his breath hitching. “And then do it again. And again. And a-fucking-gain.”

Author Bio:

Kimberly is a contemporary romance author, born procrastinator, and lover of morally gray heroes. She enjoys lively conversations, usually with imaginary people, and can often be found daydreaming at work.

She writes gritty, messy, dangerous romances, featuring beautifully flawed characters, pursuing love at all costs. It’s romance with rough edges.

When she’s not busy writing, you can find her with a coffee in hand, dog at her side, and exploring the wilds of her hometown in Ontario, Canada… Or on her couch, getting lost in a good story.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram


GIVEAWAY!

Lovely Torment Blitz

—

Posted in Book Tours

A Sabre in the Hemlock

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

A Sabre in the Hemlock
Dorothy Dreyer
(Blade Bound Saga, )
Publication date: November 18th 2025
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

With enemies closing in and magic slipping from her control, Celeste draws closer to unraveling a prophecy that could cost her the man she loves—as well as her soul.

In the wake of the carnoraxis attack on Ivystone Citadel, Celeste Westergaard’s battle for her future has only just begun. Trapped under the king’s watchful eye and hiding the magic awakening within her, Celeste must play the role expected of her, all the while uncovering secrets buried throughout Terre Ferique.

As the royal court embarks on a tour to solidify Dante’s claim to legitimacy, whispers of war and treachery follow their every step. The Shadow Tsar’s reach is growing, and the prophecy that fuels his reign foretells the rise of a power that will bring his downfall—one tied to the blood of the fae.

From glittering courts to bloodstained battlefields, Celeste must walk a knife’s edge between duty and desire, deception and truth. Because if the tsar discovers who she really is, he won’t just come for her magic, he’ll come for her soul.

A Sabre in the Hemlock is the thrilling sequel to the award-winning A Dagger in the Ivy, weaving romance, danger, and dark intrigue into an unforgettable tale of power and sacrifice.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

His jaw flexes. “You used your magic again.”

“Dante—”

“You promised you wouldn’t,” he says, voice quiet but taut, threaded with frustration. “You said you’d wait. You said you’d let Ezra figure it out.”

“I never promised,” I snap back, chin lifting. “You asked me not to, but I never agreed.”

“You bled, Celeste.” He leans closer, his voice low, heated. “I could tell something was wrong, even from the water. And what I couldn’t see, Nadya filled me in on.”

Of course she did.

“I had to help you.” The words come out louder than I intend, sharp with the emotion I’ve been burying all day. “They sent armed soldiers after you. You were bleeding underwater. You could have been pummeled by a f***ing tsunami. You don’t get to ask me to sit and watch you die.”

His hands flex, fists clenching just beneath the surface. “And what if helping me had killed you instead?”

I stare at him, my breath shallow. I don’t have an answer—not one that would make him feel better.

He paces a few steps through the water, raking a hand through his hair until it curls wild and damp around his temples. “Gods, you’re so damn stubborn.”

“And you’re so damn arrogant if you think you can tell me when and how I’m allowed to use a power that’s mine.”

He turns sharply, water sluicing off his chest, his gaze fierce enough to stop me in place. He crosses the space between us with quick, sure strides—and suddenly, he’s there, his hands finding me beneath the water, one arm locking around my waist, the other curling so that his hand is tugging the hair at the nape of my neck.

The heat of him burns through the chill. My breath stutters.

“Of course you’d fight me,” he mutters, his voice hoarse against my cheek. “Even when I’m trying to protect you.”

“And of course you’d push me,” I breathe back, “even when I’m trying to save you.”

The air thrums between us, thick with something neither of us is willing to yield. My pulse hammers as his thumb grazes the side of my throat, slow and reverent, like he’s trying to memorize the beat of my heart.

“I told you,” he says, his forehead almost brushing mine, “you bleed for no one.”

“And I told you,” I whisper, “you don’t get to decide that.”

His jaw tightens—and then, in one breath, his lips are on mine.

Author Bio:

Dorothy Dreyer is a Philippine-born American living in Germany with her family. She is an award-winning, USA Today Bestselling Author of fantasy, romance, and horror books that usually have some element of magic or the supernatural in them. Aside from reading, she enjoys movies, binge-watching series, chocolate, take-out, traveling, and having fun with friends and family. She tends to sing sometimes, too, so keep her away from your Karaoke bars.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Newsletter


GIVEAWAY!

A Sabre in the Hemlock Blitz

—

Posted in Book Tours

Narda’s Truth

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Angel numbers & scents unearth a truth that has been hidden for years.


Narda’s Truth

The Witch DNA

by Sonja Gunter

Genre: Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Urban Fantasy 

Angel numbers & scents unearth a truth that has been hidden for years.

 

Reach for the Soap, owner, Narda Hunt, has been receiving signs in the form of numbers telling her she needs to find her half-sisters, Opaline and Ebba. An imminent threat is about to force them to combine their witch powers to survive.

 One set of angel numbers brings Narda closer to Owin Waters, whom fate has determined is her soulmate. Their special connection sends them to another realm where Narda meets her deceased mother. She reveals the truth behind the special powers that Narda and her sisters possess.

 With this knowledge, Narda brings to light the evil that is waiting for her and her sisters on their twenty-fifth birthday.

   

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Smashwords * Bookbub * Goodreads





Opaline’s Discovery

The Witch DNA Trilogy Book 1

Love. Magic. Danger.

Could these three words articulate distinct spiritual essences to fuse together?

Bookstore owner, Opaline Lunn, facilitates a Speed Dating Event, in hopes of finding her soulmate. She meets attendee Detective Eamon Dayan, who wasn’t looking for love, but sparks fly at their first kiss.

Together they unearth Opaline’s powers which lead to the discovery that she has two sisters, and someone called The Ancient One who wants to kill them.

Unraveling a myriad of mysteries, with Opaline’s newfound ability to do spells, the soulmates must find her sisters by her twenty-fifth birthday to be able to confront the evil force and save all of them.

 

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Smashwords * Bookbub * Goodreads





I was born and raised in the cold and beautiful Minnesota, but I escaped to Illinois for seventeen years to raise my two boys, and now I call Florida home. My husband Andy, who’s always been my hero, has put up with my late night computer typing and endless stacks of papers with my stories on them. We have one furry friend as family: Chip, a sixteen year old ragdoll cat.

Life has been full of ups and downs, but I’ve made it through the hard times. I love to travel and go to Disney World to trade pins.  I’ve been a bowler for many years, and you can catch me writing my next novel at the lanes.

I encourage you to check out my web site, www.sonjagunter.com for more info and don’t be surprised if I let my Norwegian heritage come through in my stories.

Go Vikings! You betcha!

 

Website * Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads



Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $20 giveaway!

Narda’s Truth


https://widget.gleamjs.io/e.js
Posted in Cover Reveals

Lovely Torment #CoverReveal

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Lovely Torment
Kimberly Quinn
(Savage Hearts Syndicate, )
Publication date: November 18th 2025
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance, Suspense

He’s cold, calculating, and lethal. A killer.

He’s also my hero.

Finn Decker rescued me from a life in captivity, but not out of mercy. I’m his key to destroying the Bratva leader who shattered both our lives. A pawn in his ruthless game of vengeance.

I should be afraid. I should run.

Instead, I’m drawn to the darkness in his eyes, the craving he ignites, and the promise of retribution he offers. And I realize—I want him to use me in ways that have nothing to do with revenge.

Only, it’s hard to tell if I’m his leverage, his weakness, or something far more dangerous.

His.

Because in a war this savage, there’s no room for mistakes.

Or love.

Pre-order


Author Bio:

Kimberly is a contemporary romance author, born procrastinator, and lover of morally gray heroes. She enjoys lively conversations, usually with imaginary people, and can often be found daydreaming at work.

She writes gritty, messy, dangerous romances, featuring beautifully flawed characters, pursuing love at all costs. It’s romance with rough edges.

When she’s not busy writing, you can find her with a coffee in hand, dog at her side, and exploring the wilds of her hometown in Ontario, Canada… Or on her couch, getting lost in a good story.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Facebook


—