Ripe For Reader

Monday, September 22, 2025

Cover Reveal - FIRE by J.L. Berg

J.L. Berg has revealed the cover for Fire!

Releasing October 14, 2025

A scorching rock star romance packed with forced proximity, forbidden attraction, and way too many hotel nights on the road.

Zara Valentine's life is in crisis--recently divorced, living in her sister's spare room, and barely holding it together. The last person she expects to run into? Hendrix Creed--the tattooed, emotionally unavailable musician she used to tutor in college. The same one who made her feel too much with too little to show for it.

Now he's stepping in as a temporary bassist for Manic at Midnight, one of the biggest bands in the country--and suddenly, Hendrix is back in her orbit.

When the band needs a touring doctor, Hendrix is the one who calls her.

One road trip. One keep it casual.

But between hotel room proximity, unresolved history, and late-night confessions, their no-strings setup starts to look dangerously like something real.

And when Zara begins to notice symptoms that could threaten Hendrix's health and future onstage, she's faced with an impossible choice--protect his secret, or risk losing the one person she never stopped wanting.

Release Blitz & Review - MINE THIS TIME by J.H. Croix

MINE THIS TIME

J.H Croix

Release Date: September 15

Nash Reynolds is every woman’s dream. Just not mine.

We’re talking tall, devastatingly hot, richer than sin, with a brain that could rule the world—and that Southern drawl? It could melt steel.

But I’m not every woman, and those aren’t my toes curling. Nope. Definitely not.

I don’t do charming. I don’t do complicated. And I definitely don’t do men like Nash—men who come sweeping in just when I’m trying to piece my life back together.

My ex taught me well: love makes you stupid, and depending on a man only ends in disaster. So why does Nash keep showing up when I need him most?

Why does his smile make me forget how to breathe? Why do I catch myself wondering… what if?

He’s tempting, maddening, and just maybe, worth the risk.

Because sometimes love isn’t a trap. Sometimes it’s the easiest thing in the world.

For readers who love:

💘 Sassy meets protective

🔥 Southern charmer with a sinful smirk

⛔ Love after betrayal

🧯 Off-limits (but oh-so-tempting)

🛠️ He shows up when she needs him most

*A full-length, standalone romance.

An earlier version of Mine This Time was previously published as Easy This Time as part of the Boudreaux Universe. It has been out of publication since Dec 2021.

Grab Your Copy!

https://geni.us/MineThisTime

5 Stars

To say Mari is down on her luck is a bit vague but when you wake up on holiday and the person you went with has just up and vanished, taking all your money with them, I don't know what else to call it.

What was supposed to be a re-connect and a fun vacation quickly takes a turn. Determined to find him, she follows his calendar to Nash's office looking for him. Nash is quick to see the struggles that Mari is having and wants to step in and help her. Knowing her older brother, he feels like stepping in is the right thing to do.

As Mari take one hit after another thanks to her now ex-boyfriend, Nash seems to be in the right place at the right time. When he offers her a place to stay while she sorts through things, she reluctantly agrees. The more time she spends with Nash the more pull is there for her to give in and enjoy, but isn't it too soon?

Grab your copy and see if Mari overcomes her disaster in New Orleans. Maybe it was all meant to happen that way and the busy business mogul might just get the girl also.

*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***

USA Today Bestselling Author J. H. Croix lives in a small town in Maine with her husband and two spoiled dogs. She writes swoony contemporary romance with sassy women and alpha men who aren't afraid to show some emotion. Her love for quirky small-towns and the characters that inhabit them shines through in her writing. When she’s not writing, you can find her cooking, counting the turtles in her backyard pond, and running with her dogs, which is when her best plotting happens.

Keep up with J.H. Croix and subscribe to her newsletter: https://jhcroixauthor.com/subscribe/

To learn more about J.H. Croix & her books, visit here!

Connect with J.H. Croix:

https://jhcroixauthor.com/connect/

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Release Blitz & Review - IN MY HOCKEY ERA by Kendall Ryan

Lucy Quinn loves hockey. What she doesn’t love? The latest PR stunt from her favorite team—a hockey romance book club designed to lure in more female fans. Pandering to so-called “thirsty” fans? It totally cheapens the sport.

The worst part? They’ve slapped Bennett Wilder—the infuriatingly cocky, annoyingly handsome star forward—on the cover of this PR disaster like he’s some kind of book boyfriend. Gross.

So Lucy does what any passionate, totally rational fan would do—she starts a boycott.

Bennett doesn’t love being the face of a book club, but, hey, it’s harmless fun… until he finds out some feisty, foul-mouthed superfan is trashing it, he’s intrigued. And maybe just a little bit turned on.

So, naturally, he makes it his mission to shut her up—with charm, persistence, and exceptionally skilled hands. And somehow, he always manages to make her forget why she was mad.

But as their very public rivalry turns into something much deeper, Lucy realizes one terrifying truth—she might just be falling for the one guy she swore to hate.

Kindle https://amzn.to/3DBneJL

Apple https://apple.co/4iwl652

Nook https://bit.ly/BNEra

Kobo https://tinyurl.com/EraKobo

Google https://tinyurl.com/HERGP

Audible https://tinyurl.com/HCKYAD

4.5 Stars

A wonderful slow burn hockey romance full of witty banter, sizzling chemistry, skeptics and characters you can really relate to.

When hockey enthusiast and super fan podcaster hears about her teams new PR stunt to get more women on the fans list, she looses her marbles. Lucy is a hard working, hard playing kinda gal who loves hockey. Not just watching but she likes the stats and the whole package.

Bennett has been tasked with this book club things. Here's the thing, he likes to read when he has spare time, so how bad can it be? He certainly wasn't prepared for one of the teams most enjoyed podcaster to pick it apart. So when he is tasked with getting her on board with the project, he is all for it. Until he is face to face with her at the first meeting. Seeing her passion, her dislike for this newest scheme, but there is something more that draws him in.

A fun book to read, lots of giggles, lots of smiles and a little bit of sad mixed in to keep emotions high while reading. Will Bennett make a believer and a hockey romance reader out of Lucy in the process? Grab your copy and find out.

Welcome back Kendall Ryan, I have missed your writing and enjoyed this story very much.

*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***

Kendall Ryan writes contemporary romance. Her books have been featured on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists a combined total of more than 100 times.

https://www.kendallryanbooks.com/instagram/

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Release Blitz - TEMPTING THE GOALIE by R.C. Stephens

Tempting The Goalie by R.C. Stephens is now live!

He's a six-foot-four hockey Adonis on the ice--and a heartbreaker off it.

Luc Chabot has always been the most gorgeous guy in town, with stormy gray eyes and muscles for days.

The catch? He's also my best friend.

When my NHL hockey player boyfriend cheats on me and leaves my confidence in pieces,

Luc is the one who shows up just like he always does.

But this time, I need more than a shoulder to cry on.

I need to feel wanted. Desired. Alive again.

Luc is Riverside U's golden boy the guy every girl wants.

When his reputation takes a hit, I make him a deal: I'll help clean up his image... and he'll help remind me exactly what I've been missing.

No strings. No feelings. Just friends crossing lines we swore we never would.

Then his hands start lingering in places they shouldn't.

His voice drops, low and rough, when he says my name.

And the heat between us turns into something I can't pretend away.

He's not a forever kind of guy.

Yet the way he touches me, it feels like everything I've ever wanted. And that's the most dangerous part of all.

Release Blitz - FAKING THE PASS by Tru Taylor

Faking the Pass

Tru Taylor

Publication date: September 5th 2025

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Fake marry the smokin’ hot NFL quarterback who dumped me in high school? Hard pass.

…Or it would be, if my Hollywood disaster of an ex-fiancé wasn’t trying to destroy my career—and bankrupt me in the process.

Cue Presley Lowe.

Big-time quarterback. Bigger ego. Even bigger… contract.

The boy who broke my heart, then dared to somehow get even hotter with age.

He says a fake marriage will solve both our problems.

I say he’s lost his mind.

But I’m broke, blacklisted, and backed into a corner.

So now I’m wearing Presley’s ring, taking couple-selfies, and sleeping one wall away from the man who gave me my first heartbreak—and my last good kiss.

I pretend not to notice when he walks around shirtless.

He pretends he doesn’t remember exactly how I like to be kissed.

We’re both lying.

But it’s all temporary. Totally fake.

Right?

So why does every look he gives me scream mine?

And why am I starting to feel like there’s nothing I wouldn’t give to keep hearing him say, my wife?

What happens when your fake husband is also the boy you never got over?

Release Blitz & Review - PRETTY DESPERATE by Lacey Black

Title: Pretty Desperate

Series: Pine Village #6

Author: Lacey Black

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Small Town/Friends to Lovers

Fake Relationship/Surprise Pregnancy

Release Date: September 2, 2025

Jillian

They say when one door closes another one opens, right? When the door closed on my marriage, I was fortunate to follow a new dream. One that led me to opening my own bakery in downtown Pine Village. It hasn’t been easy, especially in the offseason, but I make it work. I’m content. Happy.

Then Kameron Markley showed up on my doorstep, begging me to be his fake girlfriend.

It seems like such a simple plan, especially when we’re both getting something out of it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before lines are blurred and crossed, and suddenly, the relationship doesn’t feel so fake after all.

Kameron

For the last decade, I’ve poured my heart and soul into my restaurant, turning a small-town space into a top steak house. The building beside mine has been sitting for as long as I can remember, and the owner is finally ready to sell. The only problem is, she thinks it needs to go to a family man. Suddenly, I’m desperate.

That’s when I come up with the wild idea to find a fake girlfriend.

Jillian Kirby fits the bill to a T, and with a little negotiation, we’re able to work out a deal where we both come out ahead. What I wasn’t expecting was it being so easy to be around her. Suddenly, the lie we’re telling does feel like it’s so right. I want it to be real.

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

4 Stars

Another wonderful visit to Pine Village to see the crew. This is Jillian and Kameron's friends to lovers, fake dating story and it sizzles with chemistry and hope for something they didn't think they would ever have.

In a desperate need to purchase the building next to his to expand his business, Kameron approaches Jillian with a need. A huge ask from her but she understands the want to do the best for your business and spending time with Kam isn't a hardship.

The more time spent together the more it is enjoyed. Kam is pretty swoon worthy and soon it isn't really feeling like fake anymore. But is the other feeling the same way? How will they handle the surprise of a lifetime.

Grab your copy and enjoy.

*** Advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. ***

ALSO AVAILABLE

A FREE PREQUEL

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY

Pretty Incredible (Book 1)

is 99c for a limited time!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

All free in Kindle Unlimited

USA Today Bestselling Author Lacey Black is a Midwestern girl with a passion for reading, writing, and shopping. She carries her e-reader with her everywhere she goes so she never misses an opportunity to read a few pages. Always looking for a happily ever after, Lacey is passionate about contemporary romance novels and enjoys it further when you mix in a little suspense. She resides in a small town in Illinois with her husband, two children, and three rowdy chickens.

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

NEWSLETTER

Friday, August 29, 2025

Release Blitz & Review - SECOND CHANCE SPARK by Kait Flynn

SECOND CHANCE SPARK

Kait Flynn

Release Date: August 29

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Some sparks are worth the burn. Even when you know better.

I didn’t expect the emergency call to take me to Doc Holliday’s. Didn’t expect her, either.

Gillian Holliday—sharp-tongued, impossible to ignore, and the woman I haven’t stopped thinking about since the day she left Huckleberry Creek.

Now she’s back. Temporarily, she says. Just here to help her family.

But this town is small. Too small to avoid the past. And when her world starts colliding with mine all over again—at the station, at the bar, across every damn corner of this town—I’m reminded exactly how good we were together.

And how bad it hurt when it all went sideways.

We’re older now. Wiser, maybe. But the spark? Yeah, that part’s still dangerous.

Release Blitz - PROTECTED BY HIM by Sara Evou

Protected by Him by Sara Evou is now live!

Maggie Smith knows a thing or two about bad luck. Watching her ex murder a judge and ending up in WITSEC taught her plenty about the subject. So, finding a new love was the last thing on her mind.

Until she met him.

Ian Murray was…everything. Handsome. Strong. Protective. Their chemistry? Intense.

And it still hadn’t been enough to get them to happily ever after.

But that was over a year ago. And now that fate has brought them together again, she’ll do anything to turn their second chance into forever. Failure isn’t an option. Because this time, the stakes are higher than ever.

Especially when it’s not just their hearts on this line. It’s their lives…

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: http://bit.ly/45QMg3o

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3T1PlG2

Sara Evou loves love more than anything. After years of being unable to express her creativity in her job as an accountant, she decided to channel her love of romance into her own stories. She's lived everywhere from Reno to Colorado to DC, but currently calls Nashville home. When she isn't reading, writing, or thinking about writing, she enjoys traveling, baking at home, and playing with her sweet pup.