A.S. Kelly is here to tell us about If You Were Mine, a contemporary LGBTQ+ romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
___________________
If You Were Mine
A.S. Kelly
Publication date: October 14th 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
Levi Anderson has never felt more alone. Since saying goodbye to his husband, he has drifted between long shifts at the hospital and quiet, empty hours in his apartment, surrounded by boxes he can’t bring himself to unpack. He refuses to face the pain — or imagine a life without him.
Shay Miller has never been more furious. In one devastating moment, he lost the man he loved, his job, and the home they shared. He’s barely holding himself together. He’s tried to start over, but deep down, he knows he can’t move on until he lets go of the past — and stops hurting himself.
When fate brings Levi and Shay together, they immediately see how different they are and can’t imagine ever being drawn to one another. Levi is still learning how to live again, while Shay is learning how to forgive.
Yet, with this stranger who’s appeared out of nowhere, Levi slowly begins to open up and trust again. And with this man, terrified of letting himself go, Shay starts to long for someone he can protect and love.
For the first time, the future feels possible for both of them. But Levi doesn’t know Shay has lied about who he is — or that he’s hiding a secret capable of destroying everything, leaving Levi to hate the man he loves for the rest of his life.
After about half an hour, I’m standing outside the cafeteria, peering through the window to make sure he’s really inside, waiting for me. But when I see him, sitting at one of the tables, intent on reading the newspaper, the urge to turn around and run away almost gets the better of the strange, inexplicable desire to sit at that table with him.
He lifts his head from the newspaper and scans the room. Then his eyes land on me, watching him from the other side of the glass, as if he suddenly realises someone is there.
I wave at him like an idiot, take a deep breath, walk to the cafeteria door, pluck up courage, and push it open. I cross the space between us with his eyes still on me, and join him at the table. He folds the newspaper and sets it aside the moment my hand touches the back of the chair in front of him.
“You didn’t get anything.”
“I was waiting for you.”
I grip the back of the chair without thinking.
“Do you want to…?” He points to the same chair.
I’d like to, yes. To sit here with you. To talk, maybe even smile at you, to understand who you are and why you keep appearing in my life when I least expect anything to happen. And I wish I didn’t feel guilty towards those who are no longer here, just for thinking and wanting all these things.
“Everything okay?” he asks, after realising I’ve been standing in front of him, just staring.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly.
“And do you maybe want to find out?”
“I don’t know that either.”
He nods slowly, as if turning my words over in his mind.
“All I know is that I want to sit down.”
He sketches a half smile.
“With you.” I don’t know if I’m still breathing as I say it. “I want to sit here with you.”
Author Bio:
A. S. Kelly was born in Italy and now lives in Dublin, Ireland, with her husband, two children, two cats, and many plants.
She worked as a literary translator for several years before she began writing full-time. Today, her books are available in English, Italian, and Spanish.
A. S. Kelly writes emotional, heartfelt romantic fiction. Her most popular series are The O'Connor Brothers and From Connemara with Love.
She enjoys yoga, running, and swimming. She also loves gardening, photography, and reading mystery and crime novels.
Paula Dombrowiak is here to tell us about Jingle Bells, Wedding Vows, Hollow Reign #3, contemporary holiday romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
________________________
Jingle Bells, Wedding Vows
Paula Dombrowiak
(Hollow Reign, #3)
Publication date: October 6th 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
He’s the uptight rockstar directing the music for my burlesque Christmas show, and driving the grumpy maestro to throw his sheet music is my favorite hobby.
Then we wake up married, and he can’t remember a single thing about our night together.
Theo Mercer is an arrogant control freak in rolled-up sleeves and glasses who thinks he can tame my headlining act. But on my stage, I call the shots. Beneath the falling stage snow, the friction between us is hot enough to burn the theater down.
When our accidental Vegas wedding explodes across the tabloids, Theo swallows his pride and drops to one knee to propose a holiday charade: play blissfully wedded—which means moving my insufferable new husband into my cramped studio apartment.
Forced proximity beneath the mistletoe turns our backstage feud into breathless passion, and behind closed doors, our fake marriage starts to feel dangerously real.
Except our vows have an expiration date. When the tinsel comes down on New Year’s, Theo has to leave.
He swears he’s coming back.
But I stopped believing in Christmas miracles a long time ago, after a string of men who never kept their word. If I let down my walls only to get burned by my fake husband… I won’t survive the fall.
Jingle Bells, Wedding Vows is Book 3 in the Hollow Reign Christmas Novellas, a series of interconnected, steamy holiday romances. Each book can be read as a standalone and features a guaranteed happily ever after.
Which would be a lot more convincing if I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing she’s a complete and utter menace in sequins and red lipstick who has spent the last couple of weeks driving me insane. The star of the Christmas show who argues with me about every note I wrote for her number. The woman who loves to push my buttons like no one I’ve ever met before.
Mara Delaney.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Do not tell me I did what I think I did.
My stomach drops as I lift the edge of the sheet and look down. Finding myself still in my boxers should be reassuring, but the relief is fleeting, swallowed almost immediately by a deeper sense of dread.
I turn my head toward Mara. The sheet has slipped just enough to expose the curve of her bare shoulder. I pinch the edge of the sheet to lift it.
Please don’t let her be naked. Please don’t let her be naked.
Fuck, she’s naked.
I don’t remember how I got here. Last night is a haze of disconnected pieces, and everything that matters is missing.
I ease out of bed with the stealth of a military operative trying not to set off a bomb. My shirt is draped over a velvet armchair, and I pull it on before anything else because I need at least one layer of dignity between me and whatever the hell happened last night. One of my Vans sits near the bathroom door. I shove my foot into it and search for the other, getting a good look at Mara’s apartment in the process.
I run a hand through my hair and pull it back to stare at it before my brain catches up to what I’m seeing.
There’s a gold band on my ring finger. Not the kind that comes out of a gumball machine.
What the actual fuck?
My gaze snaps to Mara.
I lean over the bed to see Mara’s hand curled loosely around the sheet, dark red polish chipped at the edges.
The ring on her finger matches mine.
This has to be a joke. Some elaborate, deeply unfunny prank, and when I find Casey, I’m going to kill him slowly, because somehow he’s responsible.
There’s a marriage certificate on the nightstand next to my phone.
Author Bio:
Paula Dombrowiak grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois but currently lives in Arizona. She is the author of Blood and Bone, her first adult romance novel which combines her love of music and imperfect relationships. Paula is a lifelong music junkie, whose wardrobe consists of band T-shirts and leggings which are perpetually covered in pet hair. She is a sucker for a redeemable villain, bad boys, and the tragically flawed. Music inspires her storytelling.
For more ways to learn about Paula and her books, check out her website: @www.pauladombrowiak.com
May Wynn is here to tell us about her contemporary romance Stormy Night.
There's also a great giveaway.
_______________________
Stormy Night
May Wynn
Publication date: March 20th 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
A spicy Novella! A short read, sensual seduction & second chance romance!
One explosive kiss!
Tripping over her own two feet at the restaurant and falling into the arms of a handsome blue-eyed stranger was the last thing on Marena’s plans for the evening.
She’s balancing single life, career, and family. Working on her laptop at the bar turns into a night of excitement when she meets sexy Hayden.
This was Hayden’s first night in town, new to the area for a business project.
A workaholic, he planned to focus on work, after stopping at the bar for a couple of drinks.
Rescuing a klutz from a fall was unexpected, but this gorgeous woman was a distraction he didn’t see coming.
Sitting at the bar an hour later; wine, flirting and laughing, had them both giddy, feeling like teenagers. They were taken aback at their instant chemistry.
A spontaneous kiss leaves his jaw wide open and his world rocked!
One big problem!
As Marena rode home, the lingering smile on her face slowly disappeared. She came to the sober realization that she didn’t know his name or phone number!!
What just happened?
This woman came into his life only a few hours ago, but the passion between them had rocked his world with just one kiss! Then it dawned on him, in horror, he didn’t know her name!
He couldn’t forget their explosive chemistry; How was he ever going to find this woman?
Would fate intervene and bring them together?
Will a stormy night of passion be in their future?
—–
*Perfect for readers who love a short read, sensual seduction & second chance romance!
Leaving the restroom, the loud ring of her cell phone made Marena jump. She pulled the phone out of her jean pocket. It was Rose. As she swung the restroom door open, she was looking down at her phone… not paying attention, she tripped over her own two feet. Her cell phone went flying and Marena felt herself stumbling… her body lunged forward and she was headed for a face-first fall to the floor.
Out of nowhere, a muscular arm from behind reached forward, wrapping across Marena’s stomach and waistline to prevent her from falling. Slowly she looked up at the stranger with an expression of relief and horror, as she realized she had a solid grip on his forearm. He easily held her weight and steadied her.
“Um, thank you. I’m so sorry,” she blubbered, as her face blushed with embarrassment.
“Are you alright?” The stranger looked down at her face and was startled to see striking green eyes staring back at him. Neither moved for a second, as she held his gaze.
“Yes, I’m just a klutz. My daughter was calling and I wasn’t paying attention to my footing,” she replied, as she looked into a pair of beautiful light blue eyes.
The man who had come to her aid stood about six feet tall, with a medium build. He was ruggedly handsome. His thick mane of dark brown hair, mixed with slight graying, had a messy look, the kind she’d love to run her hands through. The shadow of a brown-graying beard gave him a distinguished, sexy look. She guessed that he was approximately her age.
“Yes, you need to be more careful,” he said, as he looked around the floor and spotted her cell phone. His eyes took in the woman before him. She was a pretty woman, definitely easy on the eyes, but damn, what a klutz. Their eyes met briefly again, but she blinked and looked away, still blushing and embarrassed.
“And,” he paused slightly. “You’re welcome,” he said, with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, as he handed her the phone. He had an air of confidence about him that she found very attractive.
Her face flushed a warm pink, knowing he was amused. Their eyes locked again, but this time she held his gaze steadily, challenging him, with a slight tug of a smile. He held his breath and his pulse raced…he saw raw emotions in those gorgeous bright green eyes. It halted him in his tracks, mesmerized. The electricity between them sizzled in the air.
The sound of her cell phone rang loud, breaking the special moment between them. She shrugged apologetically and glanced at her phone.
He smiled wryly. In a flash, he was gone off to the men’s restroom.
Marena walked back to the bar, cell phone in hand.
Author Bio:
May Wynn writes contemporary romance novels known for their emotional depth, engaging characters, and a satisfying happily-ever-after. A lifelong reader, her passion for storytelling began early, inspired by a close mentor who introduced her to a wide range of authors and genres. Together, they shared their own version of a book club before book clubs were even a trend.
After a successful career in the corporate world, May turned her focus to writing, bringing her love of romance to the page. She is an enthusiastic world traveler. She and her husband share a love of culture, history, and adventure, having traveled to more than 60 countries together. She draws inspiration from the places she has visited, weaving them into the stories she creates.
May lives in Florida with her family, where she enjoys writing on her lanai with a latte in hand, surrounded by the beauty of nature.
Freda Ann is here to tell us about her contemporary holiday romance A Healing Heart in Twinkle Falls, a Twinkle Falls novel #7.
There's also a great giveaway.
______________________
A Healing Heart in Twinkle Falls
Freda Ann
(A Twinkle Falls Novel, #7)
Publication date: October 1st 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
Nicole Holburg
After my military career with the Air Force’s Communications Squadron comes to a tragic ending, I head home to Twinkle Falls hoping to put my life back together.
With a failed relationship behind me, I won’t allow another man in my life since the last one nearly ended it.
Nick Rodriguez
I had my future planned out when I graduated from The Culinary Arts Academy in Switzerland. I’ll settle down with my childhood sweetheart in our home state of Hawaii, if she’d have me after years of lost communication.
As fate would have it, the only girl I’ve loved had married someone else.
When my best friend asks me to be his head chef at a prestigious inn in Twinkle Falls, I accept the offer. Building a new life in the small town where I went to high school leaves me feeling fulfilled.
Once my son comes to live with me, I’m soon reminded of what’s missing from this idyllic life… that one person who leaves me feeling complete. The problem is I have yet to meet her in this small town I’ve grown fond of.
Will these two have as much faith as the pastor does when he nudges Nicole to help Nick at the soup kitchen? Can the town busy bodies, who swoon over the man known as Jason Momoa’s doppelgänger, push Nick in the direction of his potential soulmate?
(Though this book is part of an ongoing series you should have no problem following Nicole and Nick’s storyline. If you’ve already read books 5 and 6 of the series, you’re more than likely familiar with this couple.)
Wincing, I struggle to raise my puffy eyelids while feeling something cold beneath me. Rolling my head to the side I try taking in my surroundings. That’s when I get a glimpse of blood on the concrete under my twisted body.
Ahhh, what— I draw a ragged breath while trying to figure out what’s happening, but that’s when my world turns black.
The next thing I remember is waking up in a white sterile room full of machinery emitting various tones and a window with the blinds half closed. With fuzzy eyes I notice silver rails on each side of the bed I’m lying in. While blinking, glimpses of a nurse taking my vitals comes into view. When finished, she moves to the foot of the bed to type on a computer.
“Where… am I?” I ask attempting to focus on the room. I struggle to fully open my eyes, but only manage to see pieces of my surroundings.
Pain shoots through me as I try lifting my hand to my swollen eyes. Unable to bear the pain rushing through me, my arm drops on top of my right leg as tears sting my eyes.
“Try not to move, Nicole.” A mature and soothing voice approaches me from the foot of my bed. “You’re in the hospital on base. I’m told you were also here a few weeks ago. Can you tell me what happened this time?” The nurse inquires.
My brain feels jumbled, like I’m trying to put together a puzzle without all the pieces, as I attempt to recall what could have put me in here.
Gently I shake my head staring at her while sobbing. “Why—” Unable to put words together I pause.
Breathing deep to calm myself isn’t easy, though I manage to take a few breaths before speaking slowly and softly. “Why can’t I… remember?”
“Oh, honey don’t be so hard on yourself.” She pats my arm. “In your condition you should thank God for being alive. If that knot on your head had been an inch closer to your temple, you wouldn’t be here.
Author Bio:
Freda Ann is fondly known for her sweet/clean, HEA RomComs. Her loyal fans and reviewers have compared several of her books to Hallmark movies. Many have hit #1 in multiple categories after release.
She writes relatable, faith and family based love stories which include kids and adorable dogs. Her writing style appeals to people of all ages. Her books will take you on an emotional journey with likable characters, and dreamy settings you'll wish you could visit.
After retiring from a career in the law enforcement field, Freda feels blessed to be able to write and self-publish her stories for everyone to read. She adores her large family, 5 children and 9 grandchildren, and hosts monthly family gatherings.
To hear about new releases, please follow her on Amazon and also on Goodreads.
Julia Kent is here to tell us about her contemporary romantic comedy One Night Band Stand, Get What You Need #2.
There's also a great giveaway.
_____________________
One Night Band Stand
Julia Kent
(Get What You Need, #2)
Publication date: September 30th 2026
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
Who accidentally has a one-night stand with her alumni band director?
Yep. Me.
I know what you’re thinking. Whoops! I slipped on some valve oil and accidentally landed on his baton during a rousing chorus of Stars and Stripes Forever.
That’s not quite how it went.
But the alumni band director is really, really skilled with that baton, if you know what I mean.
So what am I supposed to do now, as I walk into the morning’s rehearsal — three feet from the podium because of course I play piccolo — and find the guy I ghosted on this morning … right there, smiling at me like he remembers exactly what tempo I prefer?
He’s perfect. Too perfect.
He’s a widowed dad of two adorable little kids that — oh, by the way — he forgot to mention.
But I also haven’t mentioned the seventeen-year-old I live with, either. He’s not my boyfriend. I’m his guardian. He’s autistic and non-speaking, and he’s been my whole world since I was nineteen.
I want Mr. Band Director. He wants me. Nothing — not the secrecy, not the awkwardness, not the 500 miles between his life and mine — will make this chemistry stop.
Except for three pesky little things: the secrets we’re hiding from each other. Three very human secrets.
I’ve never felt so seen before. He gets me. I get him. But we’re buried in responsibilities and loyalties that get in the way. When I’m with him, I can play. Really play.
And not just music.
He can’t quit his job and move his kids to be close to me. I can’t uproot a fragile teen who needs round-the-clock care and is still mourning his parents. The odds are stacked against us.
There are naked boobies in my bed, and they are not my wife’s.
What have I done?
My body goes cold and hot, skin pulsing against the sheets, blood pooled in morning wood. Wood that rests against my not-wife’s thigh. My eyes widen. My beard itches around my lips, lips that feel raw, my tongue a bit overused at the tip, like I just had sex with –
I cheated on my wife.
I cheated on my wife.
My beautiful, amazing wife who tells me she loves me ten times a day. Who laughs at my stupid music jokes. Who smiles like she’s actually interested in my high school band stories. Who —
Told. Laughed. Smiled.
Past tense, Jared. Two years, two months, four days of past tense.
— is dead.
Stacey’s dead. Right. Damn it.
I close my eyes, jaw tight, inhaling slowly, my nose cold inside, the physicality of it breaking through panic. The unreality of her death still shatters my sleepy self every morning like a car alarm I can’t fully disable, one blissful second of not-knowing, then the loop of grief.
That sour taste. The shock. The anger. The pain, physical and emotional.
Stacey is dead.
Which means I’m not cheating. I’m just in a hotel room with a very naked, incredibly alluring woman who isn’t my wife.
So then who the hell is this in my arms?
She’s cute. Warm. Soft.
So soft.
The arm Ms. Not-Wife is sleeping on went numb in my sleep. I haven’t moved it one millimeter, shoulder locked, neck doing that isometric thing as her weight presses into my bicep. It should be uncomfortable. It isn’t, and somewhere in sleep my hand found her arm and started stroking it. I just realized it’s doing this. My hand likes her.
My cock sure does, too.
I really like the softness. Naked softness takes the liking up several notches.
Another clue this isn’t my wife: I’m on the bathroom side of the bed.
Ms. Not-Wife’s hair is blonde and straight, spread across my arm. Stacey’s was darker, curly, and Stacey had to pee constantly, especially after giving birth to our oldest, Molly. Every apartment, every house, every hotel, every guest room, every beach rental for nineteen years: Stacey got the bathroom side.
The woman in my bed is not Stacey.
The HVAC unit hums on an E-flat that’s four cents flat. Not concert E-flat. An E-flat that vibrates like it’s committing a felony against freon. It is the most passive-aggressive sound in Indiana, and that’s saying a lot, because have you ever gone to a church picnic in this state? Those ladies are lowkey brutal.
The print above the bed is a seashore painting, a Thomas Kincade knockoff, something a lifelong southern Indiana resident thought would evoke Cape Cod but instead makes me think Dungeons and Dragons on acid. It goes with the burnt-orange carpeting somehow. I half expect a Jello-O egg mold as part of the continental breakfast downstairs in the bar where I picked up… this woman.
I actually approached a woman at a hotel bar, and she chose to sleep with me.
Me.
Not-Wife’s hand is on my chest. She has short nails, no polish, the thumb hooked into the dip below my collarbone like she put it there on purpose. Her thumb knows what it’s doing, which is more than I can say for the rest of me. Her ribcage moves into my ribcage every four or five seconds and back out, long even breathing so constant I’ve started matching it without meaning to.
Waking her up means having to talk, and I don’t know what you say after you pick up a woman in a hotel bar and now you’re both naked under the sheets, vulnerable and freaking out a little, yet liking it.
A lot.
Not-Wife smells like vanilla and sex and the chemical-linen scent of every business hotel pillowcase put into circulation since 1994. The bar lighting was bad last night, so I’m seeing things this morning I couldn’t see then: a mole on her cheek. Long dark lashes against it. A dimple at the corner of her mouth that’s there even when she’s not smiling.
She’s gorgeous.
Morning-gorgeous, unadulterated. Her face was not-yet-defined last night, just a woman who was blonde and smiling under bad bar lighting. She has lips I kissed last night, a tongue that danced with mine and tasted so good, and her breasts are smashed against my side like little pets curled up, seeking warmth.
I have forgotten how nice this is.
A person breathing into your neck. A warm softness against your body. Your bare skin against theirs. I took this for granted for too many years, and once it was gone I felt the absence like a phantom limb.
Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2.5 million books, with 5 New York Times bestsellers and more than 23 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, Dutch, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.
From single dads to cinnamon roll heroes to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).
She lives in New England with her husband, three children, and a Havanese dog named Walter. She is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls (Walter gets a pass).
She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com
Peyton Banks is here to tell us about Forever Her Cowboy, Silver Creek Ranch, contemporary romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
______________________
Forever Her Cowboy
Peyton Banks
(Silver Creek Ranch)
Publication date: September 22nd 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
He came to Silver Creek Ranch planning to drift on.
A fearless diner owner gave him a reason to stay forever.
Trent Lawson has spent years drifting from one job to the next.
Since leaving the Army, staying in one place has never felt possible… until he discovered the Silver Creek Ranch, a healing ranch for military veterans.
Then he met Frankie Carpenter.
The beautiful diner owner with the tempting curves, a stubborn streak a mile wide, and a smile that will make a hardened soldier start thinking about things he hasn’t allowed himself to want in years.
But when wealthy developers start pressuring her to sell the diner that’s the heart of the town, things quickly turn dangerous.
Frankie refuses to back down.
And Trent refuses to let her stand alone.
Protecting Frankie was never part of his plan—but the more time he spends with her, the more he realizes Ironhaven might finally be the place to put down roots.
Because some things are worth fighting for.
Forever Her Cowboy is a steamy small-town romance featuring a protective cowboy, a fierce heroine, and a love worth fighting for at Silver Creek Ranch.
Even when her feet throbbed and she desperately wished she had someone to rub them when she was at home.
She loved knowing people chose her place to start their day.
“Order up for table nine!” Chris called out.
She grabbed Trent’s plate before Tabby could. She didn’t know why. Maybe she did. She carried it out carefully and set it in front of him.
“Now this should keep you going,” she said. She rested her hands on her hips and smiled at Trent. “Or are you planning to nap in the barn after this?”
The corner of his lips lifted. “Depends. You offering to tuck me in?”
She blinked.
The laugh that erupted from her came from the gut. She hadn’t expected such a response.
“Well, now. A big strong man like you needs help?” she asked.
His shoulders relaxed. His eyes crinkled in the corner as he reached for his fork.
“Figured I’d try something new.” He shrugged.
Her pulse skipped a beat.
Try something new.
Was he talking about her? It had been a long time since she’d been in the dating pool. She bit her lip and leaned slightly closer to him. She watched him take his first bite of the biscuit and gravy.
“I’m sure you’ll be okay. The food will give you energy you need. Buck’s been running y’all hard this week.”
His eyebrows rose as he chewed. He swallowed and motioned to her.
“Keeping tabs on me, are we?” he asked.
“Maybe,” she said softly.
The air between them shifted.
This was dangerous and exciting.
She’d dated here and there since moving back, but nothing serious. Most of the men in Ironhaven were either married, uninterested, or too eager in ways that made her wary.
Trent was different.
He appeared to be a good guy. The others from the Silver Creek Ranch spoke highly of him. Melah, one of the female hands, had been in the other day, and from what she’d said, Trent was single.
Not that she’d asked.
Okay, she had. She was just curious. She knew he wasn’t from Ironhaven and she didn’t know if he commuted back and forth since Ironhaven had ample ranches and farms that needed good workers.
She couldn’t remember the last time a man’s gaze took her breath away. That happened almost every time Trent looked her way.
“Dinner tonight,” she heard herself say before she lost her nerve. “The special is chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, and honey butter rolls.”
His eyes widened. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. You should come back.” She tilted her head.
There was something about watching a man enjoy a good meal. Trent was steadily packing away the food that was on his plate. She couldn’t tell where it all went. He was solid muscle and fit.
Her? All of the food went to her hips.
“Unless you are scared of a food coma,” she teased.
“I can handle it.” He huffed a laugh.
She just about fell over at the sound of it. She knew he smiled, but it wasn’t often she heard him laugh when he was here eating.
“I’ll even throw in a slice of cheesecake, on the house.” She lowered her voice just a bit.
He stared at her like he wasn’t sure if she was serious. Her stomach flipped. Was she really flirting this openly?
Apparently, yes.
Was she failing at it?
“Hard to turn down free cheesecake,” he said.
“Good.” She straightened to her full height. “Don’t forget we close early on Mondays. I’ll be expecting you around six.”
He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded.
“I’ll be here at six.”
Her heart slammed into her ribs. Behind her, Libby called her name. The place was filled to capacity. She stepped back and, before she could stop herself, she winked at him.
“Don’t be late.”
She turned and walked away so she couldn’t see his reaction. The second she reached the counter, she sucked in a deep breath.
What on earth had she just done?
Author Bio:
USA Today best selling author, Peyton Banks, is the alter ego of a city girl who is a romantic at heart. Her mornings consist of coffee and daydreaming up the next steamy romance book ideas. She loves spinning romantic tales of hot alpha males and the women they love. She currently resides with her husband and children in Cleveland, Ohio.
Hayden Stone is here to tell us about In the Frame - A Fake Dating Queer MM Romance, the London Arts Club #2, contemporary LGBTQ+ romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
________________________
In the Frame: A Fake Dating Queer MM Romance
Hayden Stone
(The London Arts Club, #2)
Publication date: August 29th 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
An artist. A developer. And an art gallery which they both want—for very different reasons.
When recent uni grad Matty Gowen-Smith, a talented painter and not so talented bartender, spills a tray of drinks on a hot-shot investor, Florian de Ligt, he’s left with no choice to make amends. Especially after Matty ruins Florian’s suit on a big night out for Florian’s birthday.
Trying to make things right, broke artist Matty offers Florian his only suit in a desperate effort to not get fired from his job. Conveniently, Matty is flat sitting around the corner, where his one prized suit awaits his friend’s wedding next weekend. Not so conveniently, they are soon trapped together in an elevator at Matty’s flat, and things rapidly go from bad to worse until landing on an uneasy truce.
Which is where a pact is born to come right from this mess. Florian needs a date for an upcoming art gala, a world he knows little about. Matty desperately needs a respectable date for his friend’s Brighton wedding to prove he’s a success in his new London life.
Two fake dates and an unexpected kiss later, fake feelings begin to feel a bit too much like real feelings. Which wouldn’t be a problem if Florian wasn’t so determined to dismantle Matty’s art community by redeveloping a popular local art gallery into luxury condos. An art gallery which may give Matty the solo exhibition he’s dreamt of to launch his art career. And now Matty must choose between his community or what might be a real chance at love…
In the Frame, the second book in the London Arts Club series, features forced proximity, boy next door, and fake dating in a fun new adult romcom.
The fact is I’m kind of a shit bartender in a not-so-shit London bar. A popular bar full of discerning hipsters with deep pockets and others who want to be seen. It’s my first Saturday night working here at my new job. Which is exactly what I need to be doing to bring in some cash, and not spending money I can’t afford on supplies from the local art shop around the corner in Soho.
Forget that my new boss has all the makings of a tyrannical dictator—one who already has me nestled comfortably in his crosshairs. It’s not all smooth sailing despite the luxurious queer glamour of Ivan’s. Dramatic high-coffered ceilings soar overhead with gleaming chandeliers, and chic paintings from highly successful contemporary artists hangs on dark walls. The last part’s like artisanal sea salt in a career-shaped wound.
I have no idea why they hired me. Aside from me technically being qualified for the job. And also technically having the right references.
Never mind. I’m here now and I need to get on with it. The paycheck will make up for my current suffering, and, at best, low-key competence.
Around me, the upscale bar glows with burnished wood counters, gleaming glassware, and a stylishly imposing pink neon display (saying you have arrived and it reminds me a little of Tracey Emin’s works in neon), accompanied by a thousand bottles of premium, backlit spirits on the brick wall behind me that the finest of London’s equally premium queers will enjoy. Backlighting optional.
Clenching my jaw, I wring the bar cloth into the sink, rinse it, and give the counter in front of me a quick wipe, because I inadvertently slopped some ale when I should have slid the glass over with a certain panache expected of a bartender in a place like this. With every last drop of said ale staying within the confines of its glassware.
Except I panicked, because nerves.
Because Saturday night. Because there are hot men everywhere, where the hotness per capita rating is off the charts—to the point there should be a public health warning and an exclusion zone for the susceptible to distraction, like me. It’s definitely the sort of hotspot in London where people go when they want to be noticed. The occasional celeb makes their way through here too, tipping off the paparazzi who wait outside. There’re regularly high numbers of influencers in Ivan’s, all vying for social media clout.
Meanwhile, the remaining froth I missed looks obscene on the walnut bar. I wring out the cloth one more time for luck.
People in the queue for drinks are thankfully looking at the mess and not at me. In my crisp white shirt and black waistcoat and pressed trousers, I at least look the part like the rest of the wait staff, if not the clientele. In fairness to me, I do tidy up quite nicely when I try. Except I’ve got no chill, especially not tonight.
Author Bio:
More animal than mineral, Hayden Stone (he/him) is a writer of fun queer fiction, especially with kissing. Hayden is the author of the When Snow Falls, Being Royal, and The London Arts Club romcom series. He currently lives in Victoria, Canada, and has previously lived in Vancouver, Canada and London, UK. You can find out his latest news on Instagram or his website: haydenstonebooks.com
