Book Spotlight on The Heart of a Texas Cowboy by Linda Broday (GIVEAWAY)

A grief-stricken man finds himself bound to a woman he's never met, but who has lots of emotional baggage of her own, in this historical romance featuring one of three bothers put through the wringer for doing what's right.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of The Heart of a Texas Cowboy by Linda Broday with its heartbreaking romance full of unexpected twists and turns, then get ready to add it to your bookshelf when it releases on May 2nd.  In honor of this second installment in the Men of Legend series make sure to fill out the form for the chance to win 1 of 10 copies of the first book in this series too!

Three Brothers. One Oath.

No Compromises.

The MEN of LEGEND

The Cowboy

One bullet is all it takes to shatter Houston Legend’s world. He swore he’d never love again, but with the future of the Lone Star Ranch on the line, he finds himself at the altar promising to love and cherish a woman he’s never met—a woman whose vulnerable beauty touches his heart.

All Lara Boone wants is a name for her baby. She never expected to fall in love with her own husband—or any man—after the heartache she’s endured. Yet when her troubled past catches up with them, Houston will move heaven and earth to protect his bride…and discover depths to a marriage of convenience neither realized could be theirs.

EXCERPT:

With night wrapped around her like a cloak, Lara hummed while she washed the dishes and put everything away.

Houston sat on the ground with Gracie, his back against his saddle. The babe lay on his chestwith his hand patting the small back. He caught Lara looking and winked as boldly as some scoundrel. Heat rose to her cheeks. She lowered her gaze and made quick work of the dishes.

“Do you want me to take Gracie to her bed?” Lara asked, joining him.

“If you can pry open her fist to get my vest out of it. For such a little thing, she’s sure got a grip."

Houston was so near his soft breath fanned her cheek. Her pulse raced. This man she’d married invaded every thought. He’d shown kindness and caring and brought hope back from the grave where she’d buried it.

He laid a hand on her arm. “You’ll be back?"

“Yes. I won’t be long."

“I’ll only be in camp a little while,” Houston said, yawning. “Have to spell the other drovers.” At her questioning glance, he explained, “Everyone shares guard duty, me included."

She nodded and hurried to lay Gracie in her crib next to her crib beside the chuck wagon. With her precious daughter sleeping soundly, she returned to the fire to find no sign of Houston. Her heart sank with disappointment. She’d missed him, missed her goodnight kiss that he’d begged for.

Houston called quietly from the deep shadows. “Over here, Lara."

Following his voice, Lara discovered him leaning against the trunk of a mesquite tree. Rays from the full moon lightened the dark brown strands nestling against his collar, adding glints of silver.

“I didn’t want to take a chance on us being interrupted so I walked out here,” he explained.

Lara wet her lips. “I thought you’d changed your mind.” That he didn’t want to kiss a woman so scarred.

“Not a chance, lady,” he growled low and pushed away from the tree. “It’s all that’s been on my mind since you agreed."

When she moved to him, he opened his arms. She walked into his embrace as though it was door and pleasure awaited there. Inhaling the scented air, she laid her head against the hard wall of his chest. She wanted to stay there forever.

Houston lightly rested his chin on the top of her head. “I’m real glad you came on this drive. Nights can get lonely out here."

His deep voice vibrated inside her. It was like he became part of her. “I’m glad I did too. Even though I had to work to convince you."

“Yeah, well, I’m a stubborn fool."

He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face. Without a word, he lowered his mouth. The minute his warm lips touched hers, Lara had to clutch his arm to keep from falling. Her heartbeat pounded as though trying to keep up with the blood racing through her veins. A hot, demanding, achiness swept over her. She needed this man and at the moment didn’t think she could live without him. Nor did she want to try.

With a low cry, he placed his large hands under her jaw and deepened the kiss, sending a series of quickenings into her stomach similar to the ones she felt when Gracie curled in her womb. Maybe these stirrings signaled life much in the same way her baby’s movements did to let her know she was alive and couldn’t wait to be born.

Maybe she was being reborn.

Maybe she could forget the past and start fresh.

Maybe this was what she’d waited so long for.

As she leaned into him and gripped Houston’s vest, pleasure like she’d never felt swirled inside her. She clung to him afraid if she let go, he’d vanish and she’d discover it was a dream.

Could this be tiny stirrings of love?

Lara suddenly pushed away. No it wasn’t love because that didn’t exist. Not for her. It was too dangerous to believe in love. To believe she had anything to give any man.

What’s wrong, Lara?” Houston gently pushed back her hair. “Did I do something to upset or frighten you? I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that."

“You did nothing wrong.” It was her. She almost let herself believe that someone could love her. One look at her reflection showed the impossibility of such a thing. “I’m sorry,” she murmured brokenly.

Through tears, she stumbled back to the light of the campfire, escaping all that brought pain.

The past.

Herself.

An impossible future.

Escaping everything. If only it was that easy.

Houston stole up behind her and touched her shoulder. “Talk to me. I want to understand."

She owed him some explanation. Impatiently dashing away the tears, she turned and let anger spill. “It’s not you, Houston. It’s me. I’m broken. Too broken to fix. You can’t repair something that’s missing the pieces. Blackstone took a lot more than....” she paused, “He stole..."

“Your soul,” he supplied quietly.

BUY LINKS FOUND here.

AUTHOR INFO:

At a young age, LINDA BRODAY discovered a love for storytelling, history, and anything pertaining to the Old West. Cowboys fascinate her. There’s something about Stetsons, boots, and tall rugged cowboys that get her fired up. A New York Timesand USA Today bestselling author, Linda has won many awards, including the prestigious National Readers’ Choice Award and the Texas Gold Award. She resides in the Texas Panhandle and is inspired every day.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |  GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE

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Book Tour for Groupie by Susan Daugherty (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Readers get an in-depth look into the country music world with this tale of a singer at the top of his career, who ends up injured while on tour, and his unexpected relationship with the very opinionated physical therapist helping him to heal.  Keep reading to get a tempting glimpse of Groupie by Susan Daugherty, with its romance full of sexual tension and the realities of being a country music star, along with getting my impressions of this book.  In honor of this first installment in this duo of books set amidst the backdrop of the country music world make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $50 Amazon GC too!

Moving to a new city isn’t the magic fix Lexie Travis hoped it would be. Sure, she put some mileage between herself and her feuding parents, her miserable dating history, and the memories of a life-altering injury. However, she still feels like a former shadow of herself, hiding behind her diminished confidence and her thorough disbelief in true love. Everything changes when Lexie’s best (and only) friend drags her to a country music concert. Lexie loves country music, but she loathes the top-selling heartthrob who sold out the arena. Jack Morgan became a sensation with a string of degrading, shallow songs that she can’t stand.

A startling trauma lands Jack in the hospital, and Lexie is the physical therapist assigned to the VIP treatment of the very man she despises.

Jack is drawn to the one woman who appears resistant to his charms and who loves to check his ego every chance she gets, yet gives him the honesty he needs. She’s the opposite of his usual groupies. He can only continue his tour if he receives rehab on the road, and Lexie is the lone person Jack trusts for the job.

Reluctantly, she agrees to take the journey on his luxury coach, joining the wild cast of characters on his crew. Yes, she was given many incentives to take the assignment, but the reason she wants to ignore is the dangerous one. Jackson Morgan is growing on her.

At every turn, another challenge pushes her away from him.

Stepping onto the tour bus is the domino that starts a chain reaction in their lives and challenges them both to change. Could they learn to believe in love and happily ever after?

BUY AT AMAZON here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

I'm a big fan of romances set in the music world as I find the glitz and glamour exhilarating along with a feeling of sensuality surrounding those who make music for a living.  There are plenty of vices and negative aspects to this world too and those are prominently on display in this tale of a country crooner at the height of stardom and his slow burning relationship with the outspoken PT working to heal his body.  It's a rocky relationship because of her judgments that barely gets to second base before leaving readers hanging with its sudden ending that left me frustrated.

Jack's tour is bringing in millions along with setting female hearts aflutter.  After an earlier album showed his heart to the world, his latest is full of songs about drinking and partying with women.  It's a success but it's also given Jack a reputation of being a hard drinking player.  It's a reputation that he acknowledges but that readers learn is becoming less true as the story, and his time with Lexie, progresses.  He used to be content giving his fans and his record label what they want, but spending time with a woman who makes him question himself and his music has him making changes.  With him wanting more from Lexie, and her fears getting the best of her, their relationship hits an impasse that leaves readers dangling but hoping for the best.  Jack's super sexy with a career that's everything he ever hoped it would be.  Until his accident he enjoyed drinking with the boys and his hook-ups with groupies.  But being injured was a wake-up call, stated even louder by Lexie's harsh comments regarding his lifestyle, which makes him want to be a better man.  As we get to know more about Jack we see a man loyal to those he calls family, a man who's very giving with his money, and a man who goes out of his way to make Lexie happy.  Once he decides he wants more out of his life he wholeheartedly commits in scenes that brought a smile to my face for how sweet and caring the "real" Jack is.  Though Lexie continually puts up walls between them Jack works equally hard to bring them down which had me falling for him even more as the story moved along.  On a whole there was much to like about Jack despite his slightly jaded start.  He was truly kind-hearted with fears and dreams like his fans.  He's willing to put his heart on the line for Lexie and often wore his heart on his sleeve when trying to win her over.  He was a bright spot in this story and I look forward to seeing how a more introspective Jack is received by his fans. 

Lexie once had dreams of being a dancer until a career-ending injury had her becoming a physical therapist.  Not only did her dreams of dancing end that day but so too did her dreams of HEA as her boyfriend of three years left her as her future was no longer going to be glamorous.  Her love life's never been satisfying though as men never rock her world and have her ending things before they get too serious.  She no longer believes in love and it sets her on a path of self-sabotage as she and Jack very slowly evolve from friends to something more.  Though I admire Lexie's strong will I found her a bit abrasive and a lot judgmental.  She didn't hesitate to let Jack know how deplorable she found his current music and partying lifestyle at one of their initial meetings. She further denigrated his female fans and insinuated that he deserved his injury because of his lifestyle.  None of these comments endeared her to me and I never truly warmed up to her because these kinds of comments were sprinkled throughout the story as a self-defense whenever she was jealous or hurt.  She was the worst kind of hypocrite though as she enjoyed the fruits of Jack's wealth as he lavished her with gifts that she normally denied herself.  Her words and her constant pushing and pulling regarding her feelings for Jack left me frustrated and there were times I wasn't sure what he saw in her.  She's ultimately not a heroine that I felt deserved the hero as the worst of her personality came out around him.  Her holier-than-thou attitude and judgments dimmed my enjoyment of this story a bit and I hope that she too will turn over a new leaf when we see her in the next installment.

This was a story full of internal conflicts courtesy of a man ready for change and a woman still ruled by her past.  It's a frustrating read at times as there wasn't a lot of forward momentum when it came to the romance.  There was a lot of sexual tension but virtually no bang for your buck as Lexie's judgments and fears constantly held them back from a deeper commitment.  The country music world is vividly depicted with the current issue of "bro-country" ruining classic country discussed along with exhilarating concert scenes.  There's a large cast of secondary characters who all became blurred after awhile, with the exception of Jack's manager Amos who seemed only concerned about Jack's money-making persona to the exclusion of Jack's health and happiness.  Lexie's friend Ashley was also memorable for her cheery nature and her constant encouragement of Lexie being with Jack as she at least still believes in HEA.  On a whole this was just an okay story for me which bummed me out as I LOVE romances set in the music world.  The VERY SLOW moving romance frustrated me as did Lexie with her overly judgmental words and constant belittling of Jack's life and current music.  The one bright spot was Jack himself who endeared himself to me, flaws and all.  He was sweet and sexy and more than happy to make other's dreams come true.  Though this book was a bit disappointing I'm still left wanting to see how things end.  The conclusion leaves readers with hope for HEA but it's clear there's a lot of work, especially for Lexie to put her past pain and doubts behind her, ahead before that happens.  This wasn't a great romance but it was a good one that compels me to see if Jack and Lexie can make their very different lives mesh.

My rating for this is a C+

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Susan Daugherty is a freelance writer, and by some happy coincidence, also a licensed Physical Therapist and an APTA Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist. She is the author of the 2016 novel Groupie as well as its sequel, Muse. Her essay The Cycle of Inspiration was published in PT InMotion in April 2013. She is a member of Romance Writers of America. Raised in Kentucky, she now resides in Knoxville, Tennessee where she lives with her husband and two children.

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Book Spotlight on Nothing Like a Duke by Jane Ashford (GIVEAWAY)

Fans of the historical genre will find themselves drawn to a battle of the sexes between an independent woman and the Duke who's determined to claim her.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Nothing Like a Duke by Jane Ashford, then count down the days until its release on May 2nd.  In honor of this fourth installment in The Duke's Sons series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win 1 of 5 bundles of the three previous books in this series too!

He wants her.

She has no intention of wanting him.

But even Flora has to admit...

There’s nothing like a Duke.
Lord Robert Gresham has given up all hope that the beautiful and independent Flora Jennings will ever take him seriously. He heads to an exclusive country house party to forget about the beauty haunting his thoughts.

Too bad the lady in question has no intention of being forgotten.

EXCERPT:

A protruding bit of bramble caught the side of Flora’s pelisse. She twisted to reach for it, and a whole raft of briars shifted with her, entangling the other side of her skirts, her right arm, and the brim of her bonnet. If she pulled away, it would rip the cloth. She struggled a little; more thorns dug in. “Blast it, I suppose you were right, you wretched dog,” she exclaimed, and discovered that Plato was gone.

Flora lifted a hand to free her hat. The movement tipped another part of the bush, which swayed and seemed to grab at her. A second branch lodged in her bonnet. She felt several claw at her back. A stem lashed across her neck. That one drew blood. She tried to step back, and was pricked by more thorns, through her clothes, from all directions.

Flora went very still. She saw that the path petered out just ahead. Or perhaps this hadn’t been a path at all, but merely a deceptive opening in the vegetation. She hadn’t been paying attention. She tried again to move. She was trapped in a sea of briars. The thorns were long and wickedly barbed. They pricked the skin of her neck, her arm, her back, her side.

She became aware of a rustling in the leaves near her feet. What next? The badgers? Snakes? No, of course not snakes. It was far too cold.

A small black-furred head poked through an opening at the base of the briars. Evading the thorns with no visible effort, Plato emerged and stared up at her. “Oh, you’re back, are you?” said Flora. He sat down at her feet. “Come to gloat? Point out that if I’d followed you, I wouldn’t be in this predicament?"

Plato looked at her. Not judgmentally, because that was impossible.

“Go fetch help,” commanded Flora. The dog didn’t move. “Some clever gardeners. A footman from the house.Anyone. Go!"

“Plato? Where are you, you dratted animal?” called a voice nearby.

“Lord Robert?” she called.

There was a short silence. “Flora?"

“Yes. I’ve, ah, become entangled in some brambles.Plato doesn’t appear to care in the least. Or, actually, he’s staring at me as if it was all my fault.” She frowned down at the dog. “Does he ever blink? He’s really a bit uncanny, don’t you--"

Robert appeared on the path. “Good God!” He started forward.

“Be careful! It’s very easy to get caught. If you touch one branch, the whole mass moves."

“I see.” He examined the arching stems. “You really are caught, aren’t you?” His lips twitched.

“If you laugh, I’ll...make you sorry,” Flora promised. Plato made one of his odd grumpy gargling sounds. “And you! I’ll find a badger and hand you over to him."

Robert choked. “So, would you say you’re in need of rescue?"

“Just get me out!"

Robert moved a few steps closer. He could see that the thorns had barbs like fishhooks, ready to rip and tear if not removed very carefully. There was a trickle of blood on Flora’s neck. After a moment of calculation, he eeledbetween two branches. He had to stop once and detach thorns from his sleeve before he reached her side.

“These things are diabolical,” she said. “When I turned to pull loose, they seemed to...sort of lunge at me."

“Stay very still."

“I know!” She let out a huff of breath. “I beg your pardon. This is...rather irritating.” She smiled an apology.

Robert felt a catch in his chest, as if his heart had stumbled briefly. “Right then. Move back, Plato,” he said. For once, the little dog obeyed him, slipping easily out to a more open spot.

He began on the closest branch, embedded in the skirts of Flora’s pelisse. He had to kneel to reach it properly. His knife was small for the tough fibers. The bush swayed as he sawed at the branch. A spray of thorns rasped across his hair, but didn’t catch hold.

Robert soon pricked his skin. There was no way to hold the branch still without being stuck, and he’d left his gloves indoors when he’d seen Plato shoot wildly out of the bushes and then go haring off again.

Blood made the blasted thing slippery. Robert got out his handkerchief, used it to wrap the branch, and went back to work. At last, he was through. The severed stem sprang back a little, he was glad to see, giving him a few inches of working room. He looked up. “One down,” he said with a smile.

The heated gaze he encountered went through him like a thunderbolt. He was suddenly acutely aware of his position, right in among her skirts. His shoulder rested against her thigh. The scent of her—flowery perfume and sheer female—enveloped him.

“You’ve hurt yourself,” she said.

“It’s nothing.” Intensely aroused, Robert eased to his feet. Flora smiled at him again. Her fierce blue eyes raked him. He knew, absolutely, that she was remembering their kisses.

The next branch was wrapped around her far sleeve. He had to press close to her to avoid the briars at his back as he reached for it. And stay there while he cut through the stringy fiber of the bramble. The feel of her—curve of breast and hip, her cheek resting on his chest—made him clumsier. At one point a thorn drove deep into the pad of his index finger, and he stifled an oath.

Flora was having trouble breathing. She could feel his heartbeat, so near her ear, accelerating in tandem with her own. She could feel his muscles shift against her as he cut at the brambles. If she looked up, carefully, she could see his face—handsome, intent. The lips that had thrilled her were only inches away. But she couldn’t move enough to offer her own again. She had to remain very still, plastered against him.

BUY THE BOOK THROUGH LINKS FOUND here.

AUTHOR INFO:

JANE ASHFORD, a beloved author of historical romances, has been published in Sweden, Italy, England, Denmark, France, Russia, Latvia, and Spain, as well as the United States. Jane has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award by RT Book Reviews. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE

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Book Spotlight on The Boy Friend by Mika Jolie (Review)

Readers looking for a unique and charming read will find themselves drawn to this friends to lovers romance told from the male perspective.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of The Boy Friend by Mika Jolie, along with my impressions of it, then add this delightful romance to your bookshelf!

According to the law of attraction, women and men can't be friends.

Contrary to this myth, my friendship with Coriander Phillips does not rest on unrequited love or un-actualized lust. We've been inseparable since the day I pulled one of her pigtails and she punched me in the gut.

She's hilarious, fun to hang out with. Together, we're like peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti and meatballs, wings and beer. A match made in heaven.

She's the bomb.

Did I mention she's smokin' hot? I've checked her out...maybe once or twice. Hey, I'm a guy.

Seriously, no awkwardness, no secret yearning for our relationship to escalate beyond the purely platonic. I'm theboy friend—the loyal shoulder she cries on, the dispenser of coffee, sympathy, hugs, advice, and affection with no expectations.

Until the invisible line between friends and lovers became blurry.

Now I want more. I want her.

All I have to do is convince her we can be more than friends.

Right?

If only it were that easy.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON (KINDLE)  |  AMAZON (PRINT)

WATCH THE TRAILER here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Every now and again a book comes along that gives you all sorts of warm fuzzies, charms you on every level, and makes you want to start reading it all over again after reaching The End.  This is just such a book!  From its charming yet oh so manly male lead to its witty and playful banter I couldn't wipe the smile off my face or turn the pages fast enough.  Told from the male perspective it sets itself apart from other friends-to-lovers romances through its realistic voice and the endearingly flawed trio of male friends and their views on love and relationships.  It's ultimately a romance worth losing sleep over as readers will become quickly captivated by the romantic web Ms. Jolie's woven with her words!

Dean's just your average guy who comes from a well-off family and understands the meaning of hard work.  He's smart, sexy, a god in the bedroom and enjoys playing the field.  He's not a jerk though when it comes to his encounters as he makes his rules clear from the start.  He may not be ready to settle down but he admires his parent's close connection after years of being together and hopes to have that himself one day...far in the future.  The longest relationship he's ever had with a woman is with his best friend of twenty years, Coriander.  From the moment she hit him in the stomach as a little boy he knew she was someone special, a girl different from other girls.  He cherishes their time together and the bond they have while singing songs from Grease on karaoke nights.  He's occasionally had sexual images of them together but for the sake of their friendship he pushes them aside.  He's happy with their kind of togetherness but all that changes when she starts thinking of starting a family.  A light switch suddenly goes off of her starting a whole other life without him and it pushes him to finally address his long-simmering feelings for her.  Working through his feelings brought out inner-dialogues that had me chuckling as well as seeing a softer side to him that was endearing.  I love that it was HIM fighting for them to be something more.  Once he realized his deeper commitment to her he was all-in and expressed his love in a Grand Gesture that had me swooning.  Dean's ultimately the quintessential book boyfriend as he was strong but unafraid of admitting his feelings.  He freely expressed his fears and heartbreak, along with owning up to his missteps.  He's endearingly flawed but on a whole he's pure perfection!

With this book being told from Dean's perspective we don't really get a grasp on who Cori really is beyond how Dean sees her.  Cori's the artsy type and quirky in her looks.  She's not one that's obsessed with glamour and prefers a more natural look.  She's got curves and enjoys her food, which are just a few of the attributes Dean loves about her.  She's loyal to those in her circle and loves kids which becomes the impetus to her and Dean slowly becoming more.  Her and Dean are like peas and carrots and their times together are carefree, fun, with an undertone of flirtiness that made them endearingly entertaining.  Though I wish we could've gotten deeper insight into Cori's inner thoughts it didn't at all detract from my enjoyment of this book.

From start to finish I felt as though I was wrapped up in a warm blanket of love. Dean was everything you want in a boyfriend and he and Cori just crackled as friends...and ultimately lovers.  Their sexual encounters were scorching yet playful as their friendship still shone through the erotically-charged haze.  Dean embraced his flaws and worked hard to be the man worthy of being Cori's boyfriend in a heartwarming journey of introspection that made me smile.  He could be snarky too but he was always full of heart when it came to Cori.  His interactions with his buddies, Cam and Lucas, were also entertaining and realistic in their depiction.  They talked like men with their playful and ribald comments, but when it came to matters of the heart they showed surprising depth in their support of Dean.  Cam and Lucas have their own issues when it comes to love too.  I'm hopeful we'll get to see that play out as both men are immensely appealing and I'm intrigued by the groundwork laid here that hints at their own conflicted emotions.  This is my first book by Ms. Jolie and won't be my last as what a delight it is!  I can't wait to re-read it so I can be charmed all over again by the delicious Dean who makes other book boyfriends pale in comparison.

My rating for this is an A.

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Mika Jolie lives in New Jersey with her Happy Chaos, her husband and their energizer bunnies. A sports fanatic and a wine aficionado, she's determined to balance it all and still write about life experiences and matters of the heart. Let's face it, people are complicated and love can be messy. When she's not weaving life and romance into evocative tales, you can find her on a hiking adventure, apple picking, or whatever her three men can conjure up. She loves to hear from readers.

WEBSITE  |  MAILING LIST  |  GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE  |  AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |  INSTAGRAM

Book Spotlight on After the End by Katie Ruggle (GIVEAWAY)

Have you missed Katie Ruggle’s Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue crew? Well you’re in luck because Katie just released a FREE epilogue novella, After the End, that features all of your favorites! You can download it for free at most online retailers.  To celebrate its release you can also fill out the form below for the chance to win an autographed set of the Search & Rescue series plus an advance reader copy of Run to Ground, the first book in Katie’s upcoming new Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series!

For fans of sexy, brooding ice divers
Motorcycle Club bad boys turned firefighters
Tall, dark, and silent wilderness guides
And cops with hearts of gold...
The end is just the beginning.
What happens after happily ever after? Now that the murderer has been caught and the arsonist is behind bars, the town of Simpson, Colorado has returned to its sleepy, picturesque former glory. Yet for the heroes of Search & Rescue, work is never done...
…especially not if the extraordinary women if their lives have anything to say about it.
Told in alternating chapters focusing on four unforgettable romances, this slice-of-life novella catches up with fan favorites from Katie Ruggle’s Search & Rescue series—proving once and for all that the end is just the beginning.
After the End is the fun and heart-warming epilogue novella to the exciting Search & Rescue series by Katie Ruggle.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  iBOOKS  |  GOOGLE PLAY

HERE'S A GLIMPSE OF THE UPCOMING RUN TO GROUND, THE FIRST INSTALLMENT IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN K9 SERIES...

He lost his mentor.

He lost his K9 partner.

He almost lost his will to live.

But when a killer obsessed with revenge targets a beautiful woman on the run, Theo and his new K9 companion will do whatever it takes to save Jules before they lose their last chance at a happily ever after...

Theodore Bosco, grieving the death of his partner, is reluctantly fascinated by secretive newcomer Jules. Although his instincts scream that he should avoid her, he can't seem to stay away. It doesn't help that Theo's new K9 companion, Viggy, has fallen head over paws with Jules's rambunctious family.

Or that when he's with Jules, Theo finally knows peace.

When Jules kidnapped her siblings, whisking them away from abuse to the quiet anonymity of the Colorado Rockies, she never expected to catch the eye-or the heart-of a cop. All it would take is one wrong move and she'll lose everything.

Yet as Jules attempts to fight her growing attraction to the brooding K9 officer, another deadly threat lurks much closer to home. Someone's gunning for Theo and Viggy, and they're willing to take out anything...or anyone...who gets in the way of revenge.

EXCERPT:

The new waitress was hot. Squirrelly, but hot.

Theo always got to the diner early for the K9 unit’s breakfast and informal roll call. Those fifteen minutes before Otto and Hugh showed up usually were, if not exactly peaceful, at least a break from having to hide the mess he’d become. This morning, though, he was distracted by the way the dark-haired stranger kept trying not to stare at him. Since she didn’t seem to be bothered by anyone else in the diner, Theo assumed his uniform was making her nervous—and her nerves were putting him on edge. He’d caught himself watching her four times already, and he’d only been in the diner for five minutes.

A mug thumped on the table in front of him, and Theo turned his frown toward Megan. They had a morning ritual: He scowled. She aggressively delivered his food and coffee. Neither said a word.

This morning, as Megan was turning away, Theo was almost tempted to break the silence. He caught himself before a question about the new server popped out of his mouth. Stopping the words just in time, he snatched up his coffee and took a drink, burning his tongue in the process. He set down the mug with enough force to make the coffee almost slosh over the rim. Shit.

Before Theo could stop himself, his gaze searched out the new waitress again. She was delivering two plates of food to a table across the diner. By the look of concentration on her face and the exaggerated care she was taking, Theo assumed she was new to waiting tables. She was definitely new to Monroe, Colorado. If she’d been around, he would’ve noticed her. There was no doubt about that.

As she turned away from the table, smiling, their gazes caught for a second before she ducked her head and hurried toward the kitchen. He knew he shouldn’t take it personally. Theo had the feeling she would have had the same response to any cop.

“Who’s that?” Otto dropped onto the bench next to him.

Tearing away his gaze, Theo gave his fellow K9 officer a flat stare. “Move."

“No.” Otto stretched out his legs until his lumberjack-sized boots bumped the opposite bench. “I always sit here."

Just for the past two months. Theo didn’t want to say that, though. That might’ve led to talking about what had happened two months ago, and he really didn’t want to discuss it. Still, he couldn’t let it drop. “I’m not one of your wounded strays."

Otto made a noncommittal sound that heated Theo’s simmering anger another few degrees. Before he could rip into Otto, Hugh slid into the opposite side of the booth.

“Hey.” Hugh greeted them with his standard, easygoing grin. “Who’s the new waitress?"

“You’re not going to squeeze onto this bench, too?” Theo asked with thick sarcasm.

Hugh gave Theo a too-earnest look. “Did you want me to sit with you two? Because I can. It’ll be cozy."

Several smart-assed retorts hovered on Theo’s tongue, but he swallowed them down. All that would do was convince Hugh to move to Theo’s and Otto’s side of the table, and they’d be uncomfortable and awkward all through breakfast. Behind Hugh’s placid exterior was a mile-high wall of stubbornness.

Theo stayed silent.

With a slight smirk, Hugh settled back on his side of the table. “Anything fun and exciting happen last night?"

“Eh,” Otto said with a lift of one shoulder. “Carson Byers got picked up again."

Hugh frowned. “That’s not fun. Or exciting. In fact, that’s something that happens almost every shift. What was it this time?"

“Trespass."

“He was drunk and thought the Andersons’ house was his again?"

“The Daggs’ place this time."

“Wait. Isn’t that on the other side of town?"

“Yep."

“Dumbass."

“Yep."

Only half listening, Theo let the other men’s conversation wash over him. His gaze wandered to find the new server again. She was topping off the coffee mugs of the customers sitting at the counter as she listened to something Megan was telling her.

“I ran into Sherry at the gas station last night."

Otto’s too-casual statement jerked Theo’s attention back to their conversation.

Rubbing the back of his head, Hugh asked, “How’s she doing?"

“Not good. But what do you expect when her dad--"

“Let me out.” Theo cut off the rest of Otto’s words, glaring at him until the other man slid out of the booth. As Theo stalked from the table, there was only silence behind him—a heavy, suffocating silence. He didn’t have a destination in mind except away, but his feet carried him toward the new server as if they had a mind of their own.

The woman watched him, her blue eyes getting wider and wider, until he stopped in front of her. They stared at each other for several moments. She was even prettier and looked even more scared up close. There were dark shadows smudged beneath her eyes, and her face had a drawn, tight look. Her throat moved as she swallowed, and her eyes darted to the side. Theo tensed, his cop instincts urging him to chase her if she ran.

When she ran.

“Theo,” Megan barked as she passed, “go sit down. You’re being creepy."

He shot her a frown, but most of his attention was still on the new server. “What’s your name?"

She swallowed again and tried to force a smile, but it quickly fell away. “Jules. Um…for Julie.” Even in those few words, her Southern drawl was obvious.

“Last name?"

“Uh…Jackson.” Her gaze jumped toward the door.

“Where are you from?” He couldn’t stop asking questions. It was partly his ingrained curiosity, and partly a personal interest he couldn’t seem to smother.

“Arkansas."

Theo called bullshit on that. While she’d said her last name too slowly, this had come too fast, like he’d asked her a quiz question that she’d studied for. He could see the tension vibrating through her, her body projecting the urge to flee. What was she running from? An abusive husband? The consequences of a crime she’d committed? “What brings you to Colorado?"

“It’s…a nice state?” Her eyes squeezed closed for a second, as if she was mentally reprimanding herself.

Every glance at the door, every stifled flinch, every half-assed response just made Theo more suspicious. “You move here by yourself?"

“I…um…” Her hunted gaze fixed on Megan’s back, but the other server was occupied helping a little boy get ketchup out of a recalcitrant bottle and didn’t see her silent plea. “I should get back to work."

“Wait.” Without thinking, he reached for her arm.

“Theo.” Hugh stood right behind him, and Theo’s jaw tightened as his hand dropped to his side. Why did they feel a need to watch him like he was an unstable bomb? “Food’ll be here soon."

Theo didn’t want to return to the table, didn’t want to eat, didn’t want to talk about Sherry or anything else. What he did want was to find out more about the new, pretty, squirrelly waitress whose name may—but more likely may not—be Julie Jackson.

Jules.

He was tempted to send Hugh back to the table without him, but what was the point? All she would do was keep lying…badly. Later, in the squad car, he’d run her name, although “Julie Jackson” from Arkansas would produce enough hits to keep him busy for months.

He’d give it time. They were at the diner every morning. He’d have plenty of opportunities to try to get information.

Assuming she didn’t skip town first.

Ignoring his screaming instincts—his curiosity—his interest—he gave a short, reluctant nod and returned to the table. He could wait.

Still, it was hard not looking back.

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