MESSING WITH THE BODYGUARD

Messing With The Bodyguard: Maid In Miami Book 4

When an ex-Marine takes the job to protect his best friend’s little sister…what will happen when he discovers that he’s the one who’s most vulnerable?

Aubrey:  Yes, I’m on the cautious side, always protective of my friends and myself. So when I start seeing my ex’s car creeping around my neighborhood and office at weird hours, I get a little freaked out. A word to my older brother is all it takes for him to come up with the perfect solution. His lifelong best friend just got out of the Marines and, as a military guard dog trainer, he is skilled at personal protection. The only problem? Elijah Matthews is my absolute all time biggest crush. Now, he and his dog, Thunder, are living in my apartment. And both of them are draped all over my white sofa, begging for kisses, and stealing my attention. After ten years in the military, I’m pretty sure Eli can guard my body. The only question is, who’s going to protect my heart?

Eli: I have no idea what I’m going to do with my life after leaving the military, so when my buddy tells me his little sister might have a stalker, I jump at the chance to be her bodyguard in exchange for a place to crash. But nothing about Aubrey Shepard is like I remember. She’s not the shy, nerdy, skinny kid who always had her face in a book. Now, she’s gorgeous, brilliant, runs her own business, and slays a spreadsheet like the boss she is. After a lifetime of being left behind, I have built some serious walls and swore the only creature I’d ever love is a wimpy pitbull who cries in a storm. But Aubrey is taking those walls down brick by brick and if I’m not careful, she’s going to end up climbing right into my heart and never going away. Could she possibly be the one person who doesn’t leave me?

Messing With The Bodyguard is a laugh-out-loud rom com with a swoony closed-door romance and a heaping dose of sizzling chemistry. There is no cheating and no cliffhangers and this can be read as a standalone.

Maid In Miami Series:

When five best friends graduate from business school, it’s time for these girls to take on the world. As dazzling, eccentric, and spirited as the city where they all grew up, these dynamos head home to Miami with big plans to launch a high-end housekeeping company. Offering a mix of beauty, brains, and business savvy, it doesn’t take long for Maid in Miami to attract the most elite clients in the glamorous city. That means they are now the maids for billionaires, rock stars, athletes, and South Florida’s most charming bachelors. It turns out, a girl can clean, tidy, and make a place sparkle…until a heartthrob sweeps her off her feet. Then, things can get really messy.

Don’t miss Maid In Miami…unforgettable romantic comedies that will have you laughing, swooning, cheering, and mopping up some happy tears.

The Series:

Book 1: Messing With The Billionaire

Book 2: Messing With The Bad Boy

Book 3: Messing With The Bartender

Book 4: Messing With The Bodyguard

Book 5: Messing With The Ballplayer

Release Date: March 25, 2022

Main in Miami Series #4

Romantic Comedy/Sweet Contemporary Romance

Palm Island Publishing

Review copy provided by publisher

Liza’s Review:

I really enjoyed Messing With the Bodyguard. Aubrey has always been to stay more in the background of the friend group, so I was excited for her to get her happily ever after. Her hero being her older brother’s best friend only made this book even more like catnip to me.

Eli and Aubrey were pretty much polar opposites, but that worked for me. Eli has been training dogs while in the Marines, and he even adopted Thunder, the pitbull who couldn’t pass the tests to be a military dog. Thunder was every bit as important a character as any of the friends or Aubrey and Eli. Especially since Aubrey is a complete and total neat freak who would never have a dog when Eli offers to be her bodyguard. Having someone who didn’t have any stray dust in her house suddenly have a shedding dog and her middle school crush living with her had me laughing out loud at times.

I loved that Eli, who had abandonment issues thanks to his horrible parents, finally feels like he can not only trust someone as more than a friend, but fall in love as well. With each day they spend more time together as Eli protects Aubrey from her crazy ex, I fell harder and harder for them as a couple.

Breezie Bennett has an amazing voice and continues to give her readers funny and romantic stories they will love. I loved seeing each of the friends find their happily ever after over the course of this series, and can’t wait to read Messing with the Ballplayer when it is released.

Rating: 4 Stars (B)

CHILD OF MINE AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

Single mom Isabella York was a celebrity before she had her first kiss, her first date, or her first sip of alcohol. Playing the bad girl—both on and off the set—made up for lost time, but the consequences were life-changing. Back home in Boston, with her “checkered past” behind her, all she wants is to raise her little girl far from the spotlight. After all, revealing her secrets could mean losing everything.

For her, and her daughter.

It’s not that Henry Smith hates kids—they don’t like him. Meanwhile, he’s stuck producing children’s TV, so he’s doing the best he can to be less of a grouch. Not everyone gets a second chance to chase his dream, and if he plays his cards right at this new gig, he can move on to making television that will change the world, not just entertain a bunch of brats.

Even better, he just might be able to talk the woman he never thought he’d see again into greenlighting a do-over.

In this sexy, heartwarming, Secret Baby, 80’s throwback romcom, a Sunshine-Grumpy pair has to face the past before they can find their future… together. 

Audiobook Release Date: March 11, 2022

Home Cooked Books

Boston Classics #4

Nostalgia Romance

Narrated by: Erin Mallon and Tom Taylorson

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Listening Speed: 1.3x

Child of Mine is one of the books I've been waiting for since the very first book in the Boston Classics series. Single mom Bella is such a strong character, and I love how much she loves her daughter and keeps her needs front and center at all times. I always wondered about Lilah's father, and we finally get all the answers in Child of Mine. I really feel like each of the books in the series build upon each other, so readers will understand the character dynamics a bit better if they have read all the books in the series. However, you can read Child of Mine as a stand-alone story as well.

I've enjoyed each of the books in the Boston Classics series, and Child of Mine was another winner. I felt like much like in You Spin Me, there were parts of their history that were darker than in other books in the series, but I think that is one of the reasons I've adored the last 2 books in the series so much. I There is so much growth in the characters in the 7 years they have been apart. They also had to really work to figure out the new dynamics of their relationship. I loved that Henry and Bella's chemistry was every bit is strong 7 years later. 

I loved once again revisiting the 80's, as I grew up in the 70's, and 80's the "historical" mentions of passing notes, cell phones not being the norm, and tv shows you had to watch when originally aired, or you never got to see them again were all part of my childhood and high school years. Honestly each mention brought back lots of happy memories.

Karen Grey did an amazing job with the secret baby/second chance romance in Child of Mine. Both troupes can be hit of miss, but Ms. Grey took the ball and ran with it and gave her readers a funny, sexy, and endearing story. I’ve actually listened the audiobooks for each of the other books in this series, and can’t wait to re-read Child of Mine once the audiobook is released. 

Updated to add audiobook review. 

I felt that both Erin Mallon and Tom Taylorson did a really great job with Child of Mine. I felt like they did great job distinguishing the voices of all the different characters. I was never pulled out of the story with the narrator’s transitions, and I really felt like Erin and Tom helped totally bring this story to life. 

Rating: 5 Stars (A)

Performance Rating: 5 Stars (A)

Review copy provided by publisher 

CHILD OF MINE is now in audio: https://adbl.co/3tu80Nt

SEALED WITH A KISS (BOYS OF THE BAYOU GONE WILD #4)

What’s a girl to do when faced with a hurricane, her celebrity crush, and a power outage in their shelter?

Keep her damned feelings to herself. And her clothes on... 

Naomi LeClaire is just a small-town girl who loves her quiet, simple life.

Donovan Foster is a sexy, charming, wildlife rescuing internet sensation who loves the spotlight.

What do these opposites have in common?

Only an impossible-to-resist chemistry that, when they’re stuck together in a storm becomes, well, impossible to resist.

But the aftermath of the storm gives them something else in common—a rescue mission to help victims. Oh, and a heat-of-the-moment kiss caught on camera by the local paparazzi. Not to mention an offer for a reality TV show documenting them falling in love while saving animals from crazy, dangerous situations.

Wow, that escalated quickly.

This should be the last thing Naomi is willing to do. But he’s leaving in two months for his next job, so what’s the worst that could happen?

He’s either going to be her greatest adventure. Or this wild whirlwind romance will blow over faster than a Gulf Coast hurricane.

All she can really do is hold on tight . . . and hope her heart isn’t left in shambles.

Audiobook Release Date: February 16, 2022

Publisher: EN Fiction, Inc.

Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild #4

Contemporary Romance

Length: 10 hrs 20 mins

Narrators: Jason Clarke & Zara Eden

Listening Speed 1.4x

Audiobook provided by publisher

Liza's Review:

While I've had many books by Erin Nicholas in my TBR mountain, somehow Sealed with a Kiss is the first book I've read by Ms. Nicholas. When I was offered a review copy of the audiobook, I knew it was the prefect time to give her books a try, and I'm so glad I did.

I loved there was amazing chemistry between Naomi and Donovan from the very beginning. As this is the 4^th book in the series, I feel like it might have been building over the course of the series. They had the best banter as well, and I loved neither took any crap from the other. I quickly fell in love with them as a couple, and loved watching them both find their footing in their new relationship.

I absolutely loved learning so much about rescuing animals of all types. I also loved the humor in this story. Ms. Nicholas had me literally laughing out loud on more than one occasion...even when I listed at work on my lunch breaks. I love a romance that gives me all the feels, and the humor, love, and sexy times absolutely did it for me in Sealed with a Kiss.

Kudos to both Jason Clarke and Zara Eden for doing a great job as narrators for this book. I was able to follow both pretty seamlessly, and really only felt like there was one section of the book I had difficulty differentiating between some of the female characters. Both narrators did a great job overall with both the male and female characters, and kept me in the story the entire time.

Story Rating: 5 Stars (A)

Narrators Rating: 4 Stars (B+)

Available now at: 

https://books2read.com/Sealed-With-A-Kiss-Erin-Nicholas

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Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/sealed-with-a-kiss-71

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LibroFM: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781952280306

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/sealed-with-a-kiss/id1610253518

Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/sealed-with-a-kiss-by-erin-nicholas

FOLLOW ERIN:

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Erin Nicholas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).

SEALED WITH A KISS AUDIOBOOK RELEASE

SEALED WITH A KISS by Erin Nicholas

Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild #4

Narrated by Jason Clarke and Zara Eden

Naomi LeClaire is just a small-town girl who loves her quiet, simple life.

Donovan Foster is a sexy, charming, wildlife rescuing internet sensation who loves the spotlight.

What do these opposites have in common?

Only an impossible-to-resist chemistry that, when they’re stuck together in a storm becomes, well, impossible to resist.

Available now at:

https://books2read.com/Sealed-With-A-Kiss-Erin-Nicholas

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B09SM28FWB

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/sealed-with-a-kiss-71

Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/558167006/Sealed-With-A-Kiss

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Erin_Nicholas_Sealed_With_A_Kiss?id=AQAAAEB891m3NM

Bingebooks: https://bingebooks.com/book/sealed-with-a-kiss-13

LibroFM: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781952280306

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/sealed-with-a-kiss/id1610253518

Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/sealed-with-a-kiss-by-erin-nicholas

FOLLOW ERIN:

Website: ErinNicholas.com

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Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/authors/erin-nicholas

 

Erin Nicholas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).

BLOG TOUR: TATTERED STARS

 

"Small town romance at its best! Absolutely unputdownable. Cowles grabs you from page one and doesn’t let you go. A brilliant tale packed with heat and heart."
—Adriana Locke USA Today bestselling author

Tattered Stars, an all new enemies to lovers small town romance and first book in the Tattered & Torn series from bestselling author Catherine Cowles is available now!

Be brave. Just for sixty seconds. Twenty breaths.

One night changed them both forever.

Their lives shattered, beyond repair, with jagged edges and pieces askew.

Now, Everly has a chance to make things right. To bring healing to the place where everything fell apart. But it means facing the family her father almost destroyed, and the boy with the dark eyes—now grown—who still haunts her dreams.

Just one breath away from having your life ripped out from under you.

The last thing Hayes wants is another reminder of all the ways he failed sixteen years ago. When Everly drives back into Wolf Gap, his only mission is to get her to leave. For his family’s sake, and for his own, those demons need to stay buried for good.

But everything about this woman is a surprise, from her spine of steel to the sanctuary she hopes to create with the land her mother left behind. And Hayes is powerless to stay away.

As a careful friendship sparks into something more, someone watches. And they’ll do anything to tear it all apart…

Fall in love with Everly and Hayes today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vd3iUy
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TatteredStars
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Excerpt

I pressed on the accelerator to make it past the final rise, and as I did, the property came into view. My heart seemed to take up acrobatics in my chest, flipping and tumbling, expanding and contracting. My hands gripped the wheel harder as my foot eased off the gas.

The house itself was in worse shape than I’d expected. One of the walls had a gaping hole in it. But the small guest cabin didn’t look too worse for wear. The cottage had been in my mom’s family for generations, but the house had been my father’s construction after they married. She hadn’t stayed long after he went to prison, choosing to move us down to the flats to live on some land my uncle owned.

While the generations-old construction of the cabin had held steady, the barn and paddocks hadn’t fared nearly as well. The entire structure seemed to lean to one side, and a storm had taken down more than half of the fencing. My back hurt just looking at all the work that needed to be done.

I sighed and pulled to a stop in front of the cabin, releasing my hold on the wheel. My phone dinged, and I sent up a mental thank you to the gods of technology that it seemed I had service up here.

Shay: Are you there yet? Text me the second you arrive.

I smiled down at my phone, feeling a little less alone, knowing that I had someone who would drop anything to have my back.

Me: Just pulled up outside. Cabin looks okay. The house and barn are a disaster.

Shay: Are you sure you don’t want Brody and me to come help you get settled? We can be there in two days.

God, I was lucky to have her as a friend, but I wasn’t ready to open all the doors I’d need to if they came to stay. There were too many skeletons I didn’t want to let out into the light.

Me: Thank you, but I’ve got this. Let me get settled, and then you can come for a visit.

Shay: I don’t like that you’re there all alone.

Me: I won’t be alone for long.

Soon, I would have this place crawling with animals. It had always been my dream to build a home for neglected or abused animals of any kind. A sanctuary. It was simply coming more quickly than expected.

I turned off my SUV, rolled down the windows, and the pine air swept in. It was different than any other type, the Ponderosa pines. And as it filled me, tears sprang to my eyes. I’d missed this, more than I’d realized.

I leaned back in my seat and pulled out my letter.

Dearest Everly,

I know much of this will come a day late and more than a dollar short, but better that than not at all. Even once the doctors told me the cancer had a hold, I couldn’t bring myself to call you, to tell you these things face-to-face as I should’ve. So, I’ll take the coward’s way out. That won’t be anything new. There were so many times I should’ve stood up but didn’t.

But that’s not you. You’ve always been the bravest person I’ve ever known. Even before that night. I should’ve told you, but I didn’t—I’m so proud of you, beautiful girl. You made yourself into this amazing warrior all on your own, without any help from your dad or me.

I wish I had a chance to truly see you shine now. That’s the price for my sins. To miss all of your beauty and light shining on this world.

This should’ve come so long ago, but I’m sorry. For not being there for you. For not getting your father the help he needed. For not taking you and your siblings away when things went sideways. I’m so very sorry that I wasn’t stronger. That I wasn’t more like you.

I don’t have much I can give you, but the land’s still mine. I know a lot of pain’s been poured into the dirt there, but there was good once, too. When I spent summers there with your grandparents. As your father and I made it our home. The babies that grew there. The animals we raised.

Maybe you can find your good there, too.

I understand if you can’t. Or don’t want to. But I know if one person is strong enough to do it…it’s you.

I love you forever and always, my little warrior.

Mom

A single tear splashed onto the page. She’d been gone before I even knew she was sick. Buried before I even knew she was gone. My family hadn’t wanted me there. Not my brother—who I was sure still blamed me for everything—my uncle, or any other vast network of relatives still rooted in the area.

To them, I was the enemy, the outsider. And now, I’d returned. The only one who might be happy to see me was my cousin, Addie, but I wasn’t even sure about that. We hadn’t spoken since I’d left. All of my letters came back, marked as Return to Sender in her father’s handwriting.

My mother thought I was a warrior, and I hoped she was right. I would need all my armor if I was going to face them again. Because no one would be happy that I was here. And they’d be downright livid when they learned I was staying.

About Catherine Cowles
Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she's not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.

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Nikki's Review:

I’m pretty sure I say this after reading every book Catherine Cowles writes, but I REALLY mean it when I say that THIS book is my favourite!!

Oh the angst. I love me some good angst that puts that lump in my throat. This author never fails me when it comes to an emotional rollercoaster. I love it. 

Everly is living with the sins of her father. She’s been trying to make up for something that she was in no way at fault for. But the guilt she feels is palpable. Hayes is still living with guilt and trauma from a past event that Everly’s father is to blame for. And cue that angst I love so much! Being together, or even just friends, is difficult, especially for Everly.

I loved the whole dynamic of the small town, Wolf Gap. It gave me a “cozy” feeling and I fell for a lot of the secondary characters. Well, not Everly’s psychotic family, but you get where I’m going here. 

The story moved along smoothly, it kept me engaged, and eager to turn the page. I enjoyed all the complex emotions that I could feel coming off of the pages. It’s nice when I can experience a small part of what a character may be feeling. 

Honestly, this book had all the ingredients that make me love romance novels. It was the perfect start to new series by an amazing author. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book! 

Rating: 5 Stars (A+)

Review copy provided by publisher