Judith Keim is here to tell us about Love's Match, a Lilac Lake book, women's fiction with romantic elements.
Read on for details...
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Women's Fiction with Romantic Elements
Date Published: February 10, 2026
It takes more than love to make a match...
After clashing with the principal of the middle-grade school where she
teaches, Hazel Belmont is happy to accept the offer of a job at the
town’s new sports center, owned by Ross Roberts and Mike Dawson, a
tennis pro who’s semi-retired and teaches tennis at the center. When
Hazel notices a young boy named Jed hanging around the tennis courts, she
befriends him, and she and Mike learn that he has real talent. They speak with
his foster mother and obtain her approval for Jed to continue with free
lessons. Hazel is forced to lie to her mother about having a boyfriend, Mike,
to keep from meeting a young man at home. Mike agrees to go along with the
idea. She and Mike arrange to foster Jed when his family has to move out of
state and discover what real love is all about.
A spinoff book from the Lilac Lake Inn series, a sweet second-chance,
small-town romance. Another of Judith Keim’s books with strong women
facing challenges and finding love and happiness along the way.
About the Author
Judith Keim, A USA Today Best-Selling Author, is a hybrid author who both has
a publisher and self-publishes. Ms. Keim writes heart-warming novels about
women who face unexpected challenges, meet them with strength, and find love
and happiness along the way, stories with heart. Her best-selling books are
based, in part, on many of the places she's lived or visited and on the
interesting people she's met, creating believable characters and realistic
settings her many loyal readers love.
She enjoyed her childhood and young-adult years in Elmira, New York, and now
makes her home in Boise, Idaho, with her husband and their adorable
dachshunds, Wally and Kacy, and other members of her family.
While growing up, she loved the idea of writing stories from a young age.
Books were always present, being read, ready to go back to the library, or
about to be discovered. All in her family shared information from the books in
general conversation, giving them a wealth of knowledge and vivid
imaginations.
Ms. Keim loves to hear from her readers and appreciates their enthusiasm for
her stories, including the eight children's book she has written under J.S.
Keim
Willa Okati (AKA Will) is here to tell us about And Call Me, a friends-to-lovers MM medical romance.
Read on for details...
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Friends to Lovers Medical Romance
M/M Romance
Date Published: February 13, 2026
Need a prescription for love? Take two, and call me in the morning.
And Call Me in the Morning: Eli and Zane. Yes, they spend a lot of time
together. That doesn’t mean they’re a real couple. When teased
about it one too many times by their colleagues, Zane challenges Eli to set
the record straight with a kiss to prove there’s absolutely no chemistry
between them. Neither expected a spark to ignite between them. More than a
spark. Truth be told, Eli’s not so sure they can set the record straight
after all.
And Call Me in the Evening: Eli’s still not great at wearing his heart
on his sleeve and Zane’s still got trust issues, but they manage just
fine. It’s all good. Right? Yes and no. Eli’s ex-wife Marybeth has
come back to town, bringing a heaping helping of hassle with her.
There’s something to be said for setting the story straight, it’s
true. Eli knows he and Zane have a good thing going even if keeping it that
way is the hardest -- and best -- part.
Falling in love with his closest friend had never been something Eli planned
to do with his life. Wasn’t as if he could have stopped it, though.
Sometimes love just happened.
Even if it took him a while to figure that out.
* * *
“There you are.” Zane laid down the heavy, ivory-colored menu
he’d been idly flipping through as Eli approached, making his way
through the maze of tables at their regular bistro. “I almost thought
you weren’t going to make it.”
Eli sat with a thump, running his hand through his dark brown hair, cut short
but still quite capable of standing on end. He grimaced when he discovered
he’d forgotten his stethoscope, still wound around his neck.
“Long night?” Zane asked, already waving their server over with
the universal “coffee here” gesture.
Eli relaxed and let Zane take care of him. Some days, a man truly appreciated
a friend who’d have his back when he needed a rock to shore up against.
“Long, long night. Three-car pileup at an intersection. I didn’t
want to leave before everyone was stable.”
“That’s my boy.” Zane shifted out of the way to let their
server pour Eli’s cup. She was a pretty thing, well packed into her
curves -- curves that she offered not so subtly for display.
Zane ignored them. He’d taken Eli’s face in his hands and begun to
assess him for signs of exhaustion. The guy had good hands, firm and dry and
dexterous. They felt nice and cool against Eli’s skin. He let Eli go
with a light slap to the cheek. “Your eyes look like burned holes in a
blanket. You should go home and get some rest.”
“Like I’d miss a chance at a fine, elegant brunch?” Eli
rolled his eyes.
“Heaven forbid.” Zane gave good deadpan. “Jeez. This is the
kind of place I fear running into my family.” How moneyed Zane’s
family was, Eli didn’t know. Coming from an ivory tower was a sore spot
for Zane, who much preferred the life he’d chosen in a grittier world.
Eli segued to spare Zane any discomfort. What were friends for, right?
“You were on last night too. How’d you manage to get away in time
for a shower and a sharp morning suit?”
“Questions, questions.” The corners of Zane’s eyes crinkled
when he smiled. “Unlike some of us, I leave when my shift’s
done.”
“Since when? You’re as much of a workaholic as I am, if not more.
A hospitalist’s work is never done, especially at Immaculate Grace. What
was I thinking when I chose that as a career, anyway?”
“That you’re a glutton for punishment?”
“True enough.” Eli drank deeply of his coffee, almost moaning in
appreciation. The influx of better-than-decent caffeine stimulated his brain.
“Before I forget, I got those concert tickets you begged me for. Two,
even.” He patted his dark brown shirt pocket. Plain clothes for a plain
man, built tough to last, Chicago born and bred for forty-three years.
Unlike Zane, who looked as fresh as a daisy in a casual white linen jacket,
pale violet button-down, and pressed slacks. Pretty as a picture, coming
across as maybe five years younger than his forty-one. Zane brightened and
made a grab. “Good seats?”
“I’m told they’re the best. Ah-ah-ah.” Eli tapped his
pocket again. “I also got advance tickets for a Cubs game when the
season starts. Fair is fair. I try not to fall asleep during the chorale or
chamber music or whatever you want to call it, and you endure beer, umpire
heckling, and giant foam fingers.”
“Done and done. You drive a hard bargain.” Zane clinked coffee
cups with Eli. He hadn’t looked away once, but Eli liked that about
Zane. When he gave you his full attention, nothing else seemed to matter to
him. All part of the Zane package, and it made him the best doctor Eli had
known. “I --” He stopped, interrupted by the chiming of his pager.
When he checked the number, he grimaced. “Damn. Sorry, I’ve got to
take this. Keep that warm for me.”
“What did I tell you? Workaholic. Hey! Do not let them talk you into
coming back to the hospital today.”
Zane waved backward at Eli as he walked off. Eli watched him go, amused.
A different server, young and male, approached with the coffeepot. Eli
suspected the waitress had gotten fed up with flirting and traded off. Fine by
him. This kid had a good eye for refills. He held his cup up. “Keep it
coming, but we’re not ordering yet. Still waiting for two.”
And they’d better hurry, if they know what’s good for them.
Eli wasn’t a huge fan of this bistro. Without Zane there to provide a
buffer, the place was too rich for his blood. Made him feel like any second
someone with a pedigree was going to jump out from behind a column and ask him
what a working-class stiff like him thought he was doing here.
“Of course, sir. I’m sorry if I’m being rude,” the
waiter said, deftly pouring. “If I could ask -- you two make such a
handsome couple. How long have you been together?”
Not this again. Eli didn’t even have to ask what the kid meant.
Wasn’t the first time he and Zane had been mistaken for a couple, and
he’d bet his hard-earned MD it wouldn’t be the last. “Sorry
to burst your bubble, but we’re not.”
The waiter’s coffeepot slipped. “You’re not -- oh. Oh my
God, I’m so sorry.”
“No problem.” Eli waved him off before the kid could apologize
again. He’d almost gotten used to the assumption. Whatever people saw in
Zane and him, he had no idea. Felt like being on the shooting range sometimes,
as many assumptions made about them as they had to dodge. Once corrected,
strangers were mostly good about apologizing and moving on.
Friends of theirs, on the other hand, were not so accommodating.
“We made it!” Diana and Holly -- also doctors, both familiar faces
at Immaculate Heart -- swarmed the table in a cloud of perfume and joie de
vivre. With them, more hesitantly, came a fresh-faced kid Eli vaguely
recognized as an intern. The ladies dove into the fresh baguettes and cherry
jam their new waiter discreetly slid onto the table before exiting at speed,
stage left.
Eli stayed well back from the carnage. Friends they might be, but Holly and
Diana -- well, it was best to stay on your toes around them.
“Who’s the boy toy?”
Holly, a pale, Nordic-type blonde, swatted Eli’s arm. “Be nice.
Taye’s been at work for almost twenty-four hours. He deserved a break,
so we brought him along to give him a treat.”
Eli didn’t doubt she spoke the truth. The intern was gray with
exhaustion and had bags under his eyes big enough to carry the US mail. For
all that, he wasn’t bad-looking. If you noticed male attributes, that
was. A well-shaped face and a kind mouth, reddish gold hair cut short and
sleek. Eli could tell he was probably handsome given the way Diana eyed him
with impressively dirty intent.
“Really?” Eli nudged Diana under the table.
Diana, forty-two and unashamed, attractive in a gamine sort of way, wrinkled
her nose at Eli. A damned fine cardiologist and an innovator in her field, she
had the sense of humor of a collegiate and saw no point in growing old
gracefully. She nudged back, and ouch, she was wearing pointy-toed shoes.
“Bah humbug.”
Taye watched them with big eyes. “Is there something going on here that
I should know about?”
“Not a thing,” Diana said. Butter wouldn’t have melted
between her cherry red lips. She stole Eli’s coffee and sipped demurely.
Holly petted Taye’s hair. “It’s all right, Taye. No one
here’s going to bite.”
Taye cracked a grin. “Right. It’s just -- three doctors and me.
All of you have been in medicine since I was in grade school. I’m a
little nervous.”
“Shows what you know,” Eli said, jumping back into the
conversation. “I just finished my residency last year.” He
shrugged. “My midlife crisis came early. What can I say?”
“Seriously? But you seem so… I mean, you’re… The way
you take charge, I’d thought you were an old pro.”
“Thank you. It’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks.
And before you ask, I’m forty-three.” Eli took his cup back from
Diana, only to find it empty. “Wench.”
She smirked at Eli. “And don’t you forget it. So where’s
your wife?”
“Right now, specifically?” Eli checked his watch, a gift from Zane
when he’d been hired on as an attending. “Hell if I know. Either
in Nepal with Paolo or in Paris with Neo. I lost track.” Either way, she
was doing adventurous things with a man who isn’t married to his job. He
couldn’t blame Marybeth. Cops made terrible husbands. When he’d
decided to switch to medicine, that’d been the last straw, and he wished
her well with… whoever was on the menu this week. “Enough about
me.” They knew damn well he didn’t like to talk about personal
business in public.
Holly and Diana exchanged glances, the secretly amused and utterly female
method of communication Eli had never learned to interpret, God help him.
“Good for her. I was talking about your other wife,” Diana said
around a bite of ruby jam and baguette.
“Beg pardon?”
“She means Zane,” Holly said.
That, in Eli’s opinion, was taking it too far, especially in front of a
colleague Eli didn’t know. “Enough, the both of you.”
Holly ignored him serenely and put her chin in her hands. “Come to think
of it, this might be the first time I’ve seen you without him in
weeks.”
Eli could feel Taye watching them, fascinated. “My private life is not
up for scrutiny, but for the last time, Zane and I are not together. How many
times do I have to say this, and to how many people?”
“Wait, what?” Looked like Taye had forgotten his nerves. He turned
to Diana instead of Eli. “Zane is Dr. Novia, right? They’re
not…”
“No,” Eli said, annoyed. A flicker of motion in his peripheral
vision filled him with relief. “Zane, for the love of God, would you get
behind me on this?”
Diana and Holly dissolved into giggles. Zane shrugged, untroubled as ever, and
took his seat. He tucked his pager away. “What are we being ridiculed
for today?”
“Same old, same old,” Eli said. He passed Zane the bread and jam.
“Apparently we want to jump each other’s bones.”
“An oldie, but a goodie.” Zane lifted his chin at Taye.
“What are you looking at, junior?”
Taye coughed. “Nothing. Sorry.” He retreated behind a mouthful of
fresh-from-the-oven baguette.
Eli had to admire Zane at work. They could have used a laser stare like
Zane’s on the force back in the day. He’d have had perps pissing
their pants with nothing more than a look.
Zane turned it on Diana. “Look at you, Mrs. Robinson.”
Diana possessed not the smallest trace of shame. “You wish you had my
cojones.”
“True.”
Their byplay didn’t stop Holly. Nothing did, as far as Eli could tell.
Hell, her husband egged her on; Eli held it in private opinion that the pair
of them enjoyed more kink than a Slinky. She folded her hands beneath her chin
and gave Zane her best you-can-trust-me psychotherapist face. “It just
seems obvious to everyone but the pair of you.”
“It’s true,” Diana said. She started to pick through the
packages of fake and real sugar, searching for Splenda. “You go to the
symphony together. Ball games. Brunch, for God’s sake. And when was the
last time you went out with a woman, the pair of us aside?”
Eli opened his mouth, closed it, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “So
it’s been a while. I don’t have time for playing the field when
I’m trying to get ahead with my career.”
“But you have time to spend with Zane,” Holly said sweetly.
Eli gave up. For the moment.
Diana didn’t. “Take, for example, the way you two are sitting.
Shoulder to shoulder.”
“The table is crowded,” Eli protested. “Four-person table,
five people jammed in. You’re plastered against Taye.”
Diana smiled like a cat who’d just gotten her first taste of the cream
and said nothing.
Fine, that hadn’t helped. Frustrated, Eli looked to Zane for support. No
luck; Zane was busy waving for more coffee all around.
Eli wasn’t an idiot. When he examined Zane through objective eyes, he
could see the appeal. Zane looked closer to thirty than forty, excepting the
smile lines and small sprinkling of silver in his hair, and it was a trim, fit
thirty with a body he kept in tip-top shape with rigorous exercise.
Not that Eli had anything to be ashamed of on that count, either. Zane’s
enthusiasm for biking and boxing had chivied Eli out of the threat of
middle-aged spread and back into better shape than he’d been on the
force. Handsome, fit, successful.
So yes, he noticed these things. Didn’t everybody? And so they spent
most of their time together. Mankind wasn’t made to be alone. Big deal.
Zane’s beeper shrilled. He rolled his eyes to the heavens.
“I’m going to take this in my car. If the waiter comes around,
order for me, but no meat. As soon as we’re done here I’m going
back to Immaculate Grace and carving myself a filet of intern. Not you,”
he said as an aside to Taye. “You’re doing great. Keep up the good
work. Eli, tell them I want the usual, okay?”
Eli didn’t let Diana or Holly ask. “Yes, I know his usual. Belgian
waffle with cinnamon sugar and whipped cream, the real stuff, and a fruit
salad. No strawberries.” He swatted Zane’s hip as Zane scooted
behind him and away. “Don’t worry; I’ve got it
covered.”
“No strawberries?” Taye asked.
“He’s allergic,” Eli said. Medicine fell outside the
personal-business umbrella, and Zane considered nothing taboo anyway. Still
grated Eli’s nerves a bit to answer. “I’ve never seen how
allergic, but he carries an EpiPen. No sense taking chances.”
Hoping the subject would be dropped, knowing there was no way he’d get
that lucky, Eli studied the menu until he could no longer ignore the women
clicking their tongues at him. Approximately thirty seconds.
“What?”
The women exchanged Highly Significant Looks. “Doth the gentleman
protest too much?” Diana asked.
“He doth,” Holly agreed. “Let me ask you a question,
Eli.”
“Since I’m well aware that I can’t stop you, please,
proceed.” Eli crossed his arms and waited for it.
“How much time did you spend with your ex-wife before she took off for
-- where was it again?” She shushed him before he could answer.
“It’s Austria with Pieter, by the way. I actually know this, and
you don’t. Now tell me: how much time do you spend with Zane?”
Eli scowled and said nothing.
Holly pounced. “You see? I’ll bet you can even tell me where Zane
was night before last.”
There was no way he would win here, was there? “My place,” Eli
admitted. “Takeout and Die Hard. What’s your point?”
“I think their point is that you’re all but married,” Taye
said. Apparently he’d chosen sides. Good to know. For that, he would
pay. “Look, I know a few things about what it’s like to love your
own gender. It’s strange as hell at first.”
Diana’s face fell in a way that would have been heartbreaking if it
hadn’t been ever so satisfying instead. “You’re --”
Taye blushed but kept his chin up. “Yes.”
“No disrespect to you personally intended, Taye, but can I just say
ha?” Eli pointed at Holly and Diana in turn. “Your gaydar needs a
tune-up.”
Diana didn’t take defeat graciously. She narrowed her eyes at Taye.
“Prove it.”
“Hey.” Eli straightened. “Nobody around here has to prove
anything. Diana, leave him alone.”
Taye’s color heightened. “I can fight my own battles,
thanks.”
Eli held up his hands in mock surrender. “Suit yourself, tough
guy.”
Maybe it was the lack of sleep followed by the powerful coffee, or maybe Taye
was one of those fortunate fools who didn’t hesitate to jump in where
mortals feared to tread. “Excuse me.” Taye touched the
waiter’s arm as he approached, coming in on the third round of coffee
refills. “Would it be all right with you if I kissed you?”
The waiter stared at him. Eli waited for the “No!”
Instead, their waiter did a quick check to make sure no managerial eyes were
on him, slid his carafe onto the table, and pressed in close to Taye. “I
thought you’d never ask, handsome.” He stood on tiptoe and --
Eli sighed. Holly made cooing noises that unfortunately didn’t cover up
the noises of a highly enthusiastic kiss. A darker mood still shadowed
Eli’s thoughts when the sound of the smacking prompted a stir in his
groin.
He tapped his foot thoughtfully. All right, so maybe it’s been a longer
dry spell than I’ll admit to this crowd. I’m a busy man. That
doesn’t mean listening to two pretty boys make out turns me on. Or Zane.
It just means I need to get laid, or at least spend a quality afternoon with
my right hand.
“Is that what we’re leaving instead of a tip?” Zane made his
reappearance without fanfare or notice from anyone except Eli. “If
that’s the case, we should take Taye out with us more often.”
Eli chuckled. “I was just enjoying the sight of Diana proved
wrong.”
Diana scowled at Taye. “He’s your boyfriend, isn’t he? No
wonder you were willing to brunch instead of crash.”
“Can you blame me?” Taye kissed the waiter again, this time on the
tip of his nose. “See you later, handsome.”
Was he? Eli couldn’t see the appeal, himself. Waiter-boy was shorter
than Taye by at least half a foot, wiry, curly dark hair, a button
nose… Okay, maybe he could see it a little. Discomfort at PDA aside,
Eli was man enough to admit the pair of them were almost cute. He knew
he’d be just as fidgety with a hetero couple. The last time
Holly’s computer-something-or-another-engineer husband, Keith, had come
along to brunch, he’d almost wanted to crawl under the table.
Not even Diana could stand up against that. She sighed and shifted fully from
tigress on the hunt to full-fledged fan club member. “Worth it.”
A faint touch at his elbow drew Eli’s attention to Holly. “You
see?” she asked, quiet as a mouse. A far-too-knowing mouse.
“That’s the way you and Zane look at each other. You’re the
only two who can’t see it.”
“Be that as it may. We’re not interested. Not homophobic, Taye, so
no offense to you. You two ladies, stop going there. This is the last time
I’m going to ask. We’re friends. That’s all. Leave it
alone.”
Diana clicked her tongue against her teeth. Eli didn’t like the look on
her face. Too suspicious by half. “Let me ask you this. How do you know
there’s nothing more to it? Have you ever tried?”
Even Holly tried to shush her at that, but the damage was done. “I think
we’re done here.” Eli dropped his napkin on the table and stood.
“My private life is just that: private. I’ve had about enough of
defending myself.”
“Like I said. Protesting too much,” Diana said. She wasn’t
one to back down. Normally Eli liked that about her. Normally. Not so much
now. “Look it up.”
About the Author
Willa Okati (AKA Will) is made of many things: imagination, coffee, stray cat
hairs, daydreams, more coffee, kitchen experimentation, a passion for winter
weather, a little more coffee, a whole lot of flowering plants and a lifelong
love of storytelling. Will's definitely one of the quiet ones you have to
watch out for, though he -- not she anymore -- is a lot less quiet these days.
Marcella Steele is here to tell us about The Relationship Contract: A Second Chance Romantic Comedy, To Barcelona with Love Trilogy, #2.
There's also a great giveaway.
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The Relationship Contract: A Second Chance Romantic Comedy
Marcella Steele
(To Barcelona with Love Trilogy, #2)
Publication date: February 10th 2026
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
A crazy love experiment. A daring adventure. 60 days to pass the test.
Readers’ Favorite
Perfect for fans of Nora Goes Off Script and Part of Your World. A swoony romantic escape with the London charm of Jojo Moyes.
Once upon a time… romance had ghosted Sofia Drake so many times, she promised herself she’d never fall in love again—until she fell head over heels for the younger, jet-setting Ryan Hunter. She worries the age gap will ruin their fairy tale romance. He believes they can have their happily ever after and convinces Sofia to accept his unconventional proposal: a sixty-day contract to prove their love is worth the risk.
But when Ryan’s job takes him to London, Sofia adds an addendum to the contract. She throws the rule book in the trash, leaves behind her carefully constructed life, and sets off for the adventure of a lifetime with him—prepared to risk everything for a second chance at happiness.
Touring London, Sofia feels as if a time machine is whisking her back to her twenties, when she trekked through Europe with a backpack and a prayer her money would last. Living her dream feels intoxicating, but she wonders if this new life is a size too big—if she’s brave enough to make it fit. Ryan hopes that dazzling her with trips to Dubai and the Maldives will convince her to stay. His mother—Cruella de Vil’s double—tries to make sure she doesn’t.
But when Ryan’s old girlfriend surfaces with a bombshell that threatens to rewrite their entire future, the question isn't whether their love is strong enough. It's whether they're brave enough to renegotiate the contract and face what neither of them saw coming.
Love is like free-falling off a cliff. You never know where you might land.
“The Relationship Contract is refreshingly honest, with an authentic, vulnerable voice and sharp wit.” —Readers’ Favorite
“A few weeks, I’m not sure yet.” Me—the ultimate planner—winging it? “It’s sort of open-ended. I think I’ll be in Europe for two months, traveling to various places.” I hesitated, because how could I explain I was choosing to spend my severance package on this trip to Europe instead of job hunting—that I was hurling myself into a new life, a new relationship, without a clue about the direction this would lead?
She tilted her head with curiosity. “Business or pleasure?”
I barked out a laugh. “Definitely pleasure. I’m joining my boyfriend.” The word still felt foreign on my tongue. After years spent in romantic exile, being part of a couple seemed surreal. “Ryan works in London part-time—his main office is in San Francisco, where we met. So, I’m basically following him across an ocean.” I shook my head. This was coming out all wrong. “Not that I’m desperate or anything. I mean, I lost my job, but the timing worked out perfectly because Ryan suggested I come live with him. Well, travel together, since he moves around constantly. We’re returning to Barcelona at some point because that city holds special meaning for us—” I cut myself off, cheeks burning. Apparently, my anxiety had me spiraling out of control, transforming me from an articulate professional into a babbling teenager who just discovered her first crush.
Her eyebrows shot up while her forehead remained suspiciously smooth. “Ryan? That wouldn’t be Ryan Hunter, would it?” Her voice climbed several octaves.
“Yes… do you know him?” Something cold twisted in my stomach.
“Know him? Um. Not personally, but he’s one of our frequent flyers.” The way she scrutinized me made every hair on my neck stand at attention. “He’s your boyfriend?”
I nodded, shrinking into my luxurious seat like a deflating balloon.
This time her smile looked painted on, her tone as artificially sweet as high-fructose corn syrup. “If you need anything else, just let me know.” Watching her slim figure trail through the aisle of the cabin, I wondered if I was projecting or if the twist in my gut was justified. Anyone who knew Ryan might take one look at me and wonder, Really? Him… and her? I had questioned that myself when we first met. Despite his unwavering attention, I wasn’t sure if I would ever get past the age difference when someone like Elaine was sizing me up.
When Ryan and I were alone, it was just too good to waste time worrying about how the world viewed me. In his eyes, I was perfect. He didn’t notice the saggy bits or dimpled skin. According to my best friend, Madison, I had a figure most women would kill for and could pass for a forty-year-old on a good day. Most days were not that good, but I’d made peace with the crows feet and that little belly pooch that refused to disappear. After all, at one time it was a baby bump, then a beach ball. I’d earned that lump.
Still, a thought niggled its way into my brain. There was something suspicious about Elaine’s reaction to me. Call it women’s intuition, but somehow, I just knew. Had she hoped to snag him for herself? I couldn’t blame her; Ryan was the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome. His image should appear on a Pinterest board titled: Hot Guys with Dark Curly Hair and Piercing Blue Eyes. How many flight attendants and restaurant hostesses had set their sights on him?
Marcella Steele is here to tell us about her romantic comedy, The Vacation, Bubble, To Barcelona with Love Trilogy #1.
There's also a great giveaway.
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The Vacation Bubble: A Second Chance Romantic Comedy
Marcella Steele
(To Barcelona with Love Trilogy, #1)
Publication date: September 1st 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
Readers’ Favorite
Perfect for fans of Beach Read, The Unhoneymooners, and Part of Your World—this witty second chance romance is a sun-drenched escape with heart, heat, and humor.
A fling wasn’t on her vacation itinerary. Neither was falling in love with the one man she’d already run from.
Romance has ghosted, gaslit, and gone full Shakespearean tragedy on Sofia Drake. She’s officially a one-woman rom-com with no third act in sight, ready to bolt if love sneaks up on her again.
Freshly dumped and jobless, Sofia is mid-pity-party (yes, wine and ice cream are involved) when a friend drags her to a job fair. If she’d known how a chance meeting would blow up her carefully constructed life, she would’ve stayed home. One look into Ryan Hunter’s crystal blue eyes and she can tell he’s trouble. He’s gorgeous, charming, and way too young. He’s also the first man in years to make her feel a real, rocket-exploding kind of heat. But when the jet-setting Ryan invites her on a spontaneous trip to Barcelona, Sofia does what she does best: she runs.
It takes a kick from her best friend (a “get a life” lecture) to move Sofia out of her comfort zone and onto a plane to Barcelona—alone. No men, no pressure, just a solo adventure. At least… until she runs straight into the one man she swore she’d never see again.
Now, Ryan is offering to be her personal tour guide, and Sofia is breaking her own ‘no men’ rule for a new one: keep it vacation-only. Sun, sangria, and maybe a little sizzle. They make a pact for the summer: Thirty days—no falling in love, no risky complications. Really.
Sometimes the best adventures happen when you finally stop running from what scares you the most.
“The Vacation Bubble will resonate with readers who crave wanderlust, sizzling chemistry, and second chances.” Readers’ Favorite
Sofia – the meet cute#1 San Francisco job networking event
It was his voice I heard first—deep, with a sexy tone that rumbled through me.
“I’m in the mergers and acquisitions department. Possibly you’re acquainted with the bank?” he asked the balding man next to him. “It’s a global company whose headquarters are located here in San Francisco and in London. We’re looking for fresh talent, someone with experience in finance. The organization has an excellent training program.”
The line moved up, but I hung back, waving at people to take the place in front of me. Obvious? A few sideways glances confirmed that my chivalry wasn’t going unnoticed.
His voice came from my right, only a few feet away. I shifted in my high heels and casually pretended to brush a piece of lint off my shoulder, then caught sight of him. It may have been only four or five seconds, but as my eyes raked across his features, time seemed to slow, as if watching a movie at half speed. To say he was gorgeous wouldn’t do him justice. That face belonged on the cover of GQ magazine. Tall, dark, and handsome with refined, perfectly symmetrical features, luscious full lips, and, God help me, a chiseled jawline resembling Adonis. That was the moment I knew I was in trouble.
He continued his pitch to the short man in a suit. The man wasn’t over thirty-five, but the back of his head was already thinning. Sexy guy stood over six feet tall, his bronzed olive skin and tousled dark curls effortlessly stylish without seeming overdone. Even his clothes were sexy, although it was more about the way they fit his frame. My eyes scanned him from bottom to top, taking in his leather shoes, indigo-blue designer jeans, a white-collared shirt, and a black sport coat cut close to his body, revealing broad shoulders that led to a slender waist in a V shape. When he raised his arm to retrieve a business card, his bicep bulged against the sleeve of his jacket. Holy shit.
A buzzing sound rang in my ears, muting the conversation, but I watched as his face broke into a wide smile, dimples forming like perfect punctuation marks on his cheeks. Without warning, his head swiveled a fraction to the right and his eyes caught sight of mine—sparkling, deep blue eyes that held me transfixed for a split second. Then, in one swift (not obvious at all) move, I brought my hand to my hair and, as I flicked it over my shoulder, my gaze shifted to the blond woman directly in front of me. Thank God I was next in line.
A flush bloomed on my face, not solely due to the hot flash racing up my neck. Stop right there, missy, I told myself. He’s too young, probably in his thirties. I’d never needed a drink so desperately. Forcing my view straight ahead, I ordered a gin and tonic when I reached the edge of the bar.
When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.
Belle Ami is here to tell us about the Toxic Love series, dark romantic suspense.
There's also a great giveaway.
______________________
Their past was painful,
Their love undeniable,
Their future unbreakable…
Toxic Attraction
Toxic Love Series Book 1
by Belle Ami
Genre: Dark Romantic Suspense
I knew the moment
I saw her that she was mine. She just doesn’t know it yet.
Adelia Lindstrom is a rising star in the elite equestrian world, struggling to
move forward after the devastating loss of her parents. When she meets
billionaire banker Miles Bremen and his enigmatic twin sister, Karolin, her
world takes an unexpected turn.
Miles is more than dangerous—he exudes a bold, unapologetic sensuality that
pulls Adelia into uncharted territory. With him, she discovers a side of
herself she never knew existed: passionate, daring, and irresistibly drawn to
his magnetic allure. But behind his seductive charm lies a darkness that keeps
her on edge, making her question whether surrendering to his world will set her
free or destroy her.
Toxic Attraction is a steamy,
edge-of-your-seat dark romance thriller that explores the intoxicating power of
passion and the risks of losing control.
Tropes include: enemies to lovers,
really dark romance, age gaps, obsessive anti-hero, possessive
protector, morally gray hero, protective and stalking, kidnapping,
forbidden love, revenge gone wrong.
Trigger Warnings: This series
contains dark and mature themes, including an extremely possessive alpha hero
with an "I will destroy anyone who threatens the heroine" intensity,
emotional manipulation, kidnapping, and intense romantic conflict. Readers should
be aware of potential triggers and are encouraged to review the detailed
trigger warnings inside each book. Books 1 and 2 end in cliffhangers, but the
series concludes with an HEA in Book 3.
Please note: Toxic Attraction is a revised and revamped
version of The One by Belle Ami (published in 2014)
**Get it on sale - Kindle countdown deal Feb 3-10!!**
I failed her, and
I’ll never forgive myself. But I’ll do whatever it takes to win her back—even
if it costs me everything.
Adelia Lindstrom Bremen thought she had found her forever love in Miles Bremen.
Their fiery connection gave her everything she thought she wanted, including
Fallyn and Liam, their twins. But their passion burned too hot, and betrayal
shattered their marriage, leaving her to rebuild her life.
When her children are abducted, Adelia turns to FBI Agent David Weiss for help.
As they work together to bring her children home, David’s steady presence
offers her a haven of calmness she never experienced with Miles. But Miles
isn’t ready to let her go, and his bold, unrelenting desire for her reignites
everything she thought she’d left behind.
Now caught between two men—one who offers safety and the other who awakens her
soul—Adelia must navigate a high-stakes game where love, obsession, and danger
intertwine.
Toxic Deception is a dark
romance thriller that will grip you with its passion, betrayal, and
heart-pounding suspense. Tropes include enemies to lovers, really dark romance, age gaps, obsessive
anti-hero, possessive protector, morally gray hero, protective and
stalking, kidnapping, forbidden love, revenge gone wrong.
Trigger Warnings: This series
contains dark and mature themes, including an extremely possessive alpha hero
with an "I will destroy anyone who threatens the heroine" intensity,
emotional manipulation, kidnapping, and intense romantic conflict. Readers should
be aware of potential triggers and are encouraged to review the detailed
trigger warnings inside each book. Books 1 and 2 end in cliffhangers, but the
series concludes with an HEA in Book 3.
Please note: Toxic Deception is a revised and revamped version
of The One and More by Belle Ami (published in 2014)
I’ll fight for
her, even if it kills me. She taught me how to love—and now I’ll prove I’m
worthy of her.
Adelia Lindstrom Bremen has faced heartbreak, betrayal, and danger at every
turn. Her parents’ deaths were no accident, her marriage to Miles ended in a
vicious custody battle, and now she’s caught between two men—Miles, the
enigmatic billionaire who awakened her deepest desires, and David, the steady
force she thought she needed.
Miles has always embodied bold passion and unapologetic sensuality, but Adelia’s
love has sparked something unexpected in him—a desire to change, to be the man
she deserves. When Adelia becomes the target of a serial killer hunting climate
scientists, Miles must confront his darkness and fight for the woman who made
him believe in redemption.
As danger looms and secrets unravel, Adelia must decide if love can truly
transform, or if passion and peril will consume her. Can Miles prove he’s more
than the man who broke her heart? And will Adelia find the courage to trust the
one who has always owned her soul?
Toxic Redemption is the
electrifying conclusion to the Toxic Love series—a dark
romance thriller where love is as dangerous as it is transformative.
Tropes include enemies to lovers, really dark romance, age gaps, obsessive
anti-hero, possessive protector, morally gray hero, protective and
stalking, kidnapping, forbidden love, revenge gone wrong.
Trigger Warnings: This series
contains dark and mature themes, including an extremely possessive alpha hero
with an "I will destroy anyone who threatens the heroine" intensity,
emotional manipulation, kidnapping, and intense romantic conflict. Readers
should be aware of potential triggers and are encouraged to review the detailed
trigger warnings inside each book. Books 1 and 2 end in cliffhangers, but the
series concludes with an HEA in Book 3.
Please note: Toxic Redemption is a revised and revamped
version of One More Time is Not Enough by Belle Ami (published
in 2016)
Belle Ami writes
breathtaking historical fiction, captivating historical romance, and gripping
romantic thrillers. Creating unforgettable characters and crafting complex
stories, Belle’s writing reflects the redemptive power of love and the strength
of the human spirit.
A former Kathryn
McBride scholar of Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, Belle, is also a proud
recipient of the RONE, RAVEN, Readers’ Favorite Award, and the Book Excellence
Award.
Belle’s passions
include hiking, boxing, skiing, cooking, travel, and of course, writing. She
lives in Southern California with her family.
