Excerpt Reveal - JUST PLAYING FOR KEEPS by Lauren Blakely

When she’s fake dating the hockey star, but he was never faking it…

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes the next standalone hockey rom com in her brand new Hockey Ever After series, JUST PLAYING FOR KEEPS! This spicy, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, only one bed in a room, opposites attract hockey romance releases June 3rd in all formats, and will be free to read in Kindle Unlimited. Check out the excerpt below, and one-click your copy today!

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“I don’t want to be your plus-one, sweetheart. I want your ex, and everyone else, to think I’m your real date.”

She’s quiet for a long beat. Eyes flickering. Brow furrowing. “You do?”

That might sound f*&k-all pushy, so I amend it. “Fake date.”

She tilts her head, a small, curious smile forming. “You’re saying you want to fake date me for all the wedding events?”

This makes perfect sense to me. A plus-one can be anyone—a friend, a rando, some guy who lives across the country and happens to be in town. But a date? That signals something important.

“What I’m saying is a plus-one is a cop-out. But being your new guy? That says your ex is a dumbass for losing you, and you’re moving the hell on like the f*&king goddess you are.”

Maybe I’ve said too much with goddess, but the way her smile spreads is divine.

“Looks like you just got yourself a fake date then, mister.”

I inch closer, tuck my thumb under her chin, like I did the night I walked her to her door. Her breath catches. I slide my thumb gently along her jaw. “See you soon.”

About JUST PLAYING FOR KEEPS (Coming 6/3/2026):

Ever hear the story about the dating coach who got dumped on the hockey arena’s jumbotron?

Everyone did. But I lived it. Including the moment when Lake Axelrod, the team’s broody, tattooed right winger, swooped in on skates to rescue me from public humiliation.

Even more surprising? When the famously grumpy (and ridiculously sexy) hockey star insists on being my fake boyfriend for my sister’s high-profile wedding.

It’s the perfect plan. His family stops pressuring him to settle down, and I’ll get the ultimate revenge, since my ex is the best man. Bonus – I might even salvage my professional reputation.

We need rules though.

To pull this off, everyone from his teammates to my boss has to believe we’re a real couple.

That means swoony touches and knee-weakening kisses are required.

When it ends, we walk away.

But the intensity in Lake’s eyes after every post-game kiss makes me wonder if he’s pretending. With each whispered secret, the line between fake and real bends. Until it shatters one night in a hotel room.

Soon, he isn’t just playing the protective boyfriend—he’s the only one who truly sees me.

If I’m not careful, I’m going to break the most important rule of all: don’t fall for your fake date.

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A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Her books have been featured in US Weekly and People. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party.

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Release Blitz - KNOCED UP BY NUMBERR NINETY by Elise Faber

KNOCKED UP BY NUMBER NINETY

Elise Faber

Release Date: May 11

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

Having a baby wasn’t in my five-year plan.

Then again, neither was sleeping with a hockey player who hates my guts.

Star forward for the Grizzlies, Leo Wilson is my least favorite person on the planet.

Unfortunately, after a night of drinking and debauchery—on both our sides—we end up in bed together.

It was supposed to be one time—

Not a night punctuated by a lifetime of parental responsibility…and the slowly sinking feeling that I may have misjudged Leo.

That there may be more to him than the playboy persona.

That he may be everything I’ve ever dreamed of.

And that…I don’t think I can let him go.

Release Blitz & Review - ONLY FOR HER by Natasha Madison

ONLY FOR HER

Natasha Madison

Release Date: May 8

Victoria

Being offered a job in a brand-new city wasn’t something I was planning on.

Neither was meeting him at a random hotel bar that same night.

We shared a drink, flirted, and then one thing led to another.

We exchanged first names, and I escaped the next morning with a quick goodbye.

I never expected to see him again.

I especially never expected him to come face-to-face with him at my brother’s house.

As the new coach of the team.

Zane

I was the youngest coach in the NHL.

I had to focus on one thing and one thing only.

My job.

It’s the only thing I had time for.

Until I came face-to-face with the stranger I thought I would never see again.

She’s off-limits in every sense of the word.

Not just because she’s younger than me.

She’s the sister to my star player.

Release Blitz & Review - THE BACKUP PLAN by K. Bromberg

The Backup Plan by K. Bromberg is now live!

Sometimes love isn’t part of the plan. Sometimes it’s the backup plan.

Lucas Hale built his entire life around football.

The franchise quarterback.

The GOAT.

The man everyone on his team counts on.

Recovering from a devastating shoulder injury, the veteran quarterback signs with the Lone Star Rebels for one last chance to prove he still belongs in the league.

There’s just one problem—Dr. Emery Porter.

The Rebels’ new injury specialist isn’t impressed by Lucas’s charm—or his determination to push through pain.

She’s seen the scans.

She knows the damage.

And if she clears him to play, it might mean destroying his career for good.

But the more time they spend together, the more dangerous everything becomes.

For Emery’s career.

For Lucas’s future.

And the harder it becomes to remember where professional boundaries end—and where love begins.

Because if Lucas keeps playing, he could lose everything.

And if Emery stops him . . . she might lose the man she’s fallen for.

Sometimes the biggest risk isn’t losing the game.

It’s losing what you never thought you wanted.

Pre-Order Blitz - RUNNING SCARED by D.M. Earl

 

Title: Running Scared (Running Series) 
Author: D.M. Earl 

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Dark MC Romance 
Release Date: May 28, 2026 
Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC. 

Tropes:

✔️ Tortured heroine ✔️ Redemption ✔️ Forced proximity ✔️ Protector romance ✔️ Secrets & lies ✔️ MC Romance ✔️ Trauma survivor ✔️ Slow burn ✔️ Second chance romance ✔️ Forbidden feelings ✔️ He falls first

She's a tortured soul. He's looking for redemption. Together, they're the Devil's secret weapons.

I may be a Devil's Handmaiden, Known for our fiery and feisty ways. But enduring years of torture at the hands of my kidnapper, I'll admit, I'd rather lie low and keep away from the chaos.

But the maidens seem different, Secluded and separate, Keeping me at bay. My secrets are piling up, The suspicions are growing.

I need to get away, Get out, And get my bearings back.

With my enemies multiplying, And lurking nearby, Safety seems impossible.

There's only one man I trust, One man who knows my secrets, And can shut his mouth.

But Noah Anderson is entwined in his own turmoil, Looking for redemption for his ruthless family. When he whisks me away to a safe haven, I can't decipher my feelings, Fury, worry, desire, and heartache bury me.

Trusting Noah with my safety is easy, Trusting Noah with my heart terrifies me. Can I open myself to a future with him without Running Scared?

Motorcycles, Mobsters, and Mayhem author event proudly presents The Mayhem Makers Series. These standalone novels are brought to you by several bestselling authors specializing in writing twisted chaos. You'll get all the bikers, mobsters, and dark romance your heart can handle. Follow us so you never miss a new release, as they can be added in at any time!

Release Blitz - EMBERS AND ECHOES by R. C Stephens

Embers and Echoes by R.C. Stephens is now live!

Coming to Maple Valley was supposed to be temporary.

Work the summer on the orchard.

Keep my head down.

Find answers about the best friend I lost years ago.

Simple.

Until I met my boss.

Asher Thorne is everything I should stay away from--gruff, protective, and impossible to ignore.

He's an MMA fighter chasing his next big win.

A man who's spent his life moving from town to town, never staying long enough for anything or anyone to matter.

The orchard is the only thing anchoring him here.

And he's made one thing clear from the start.

Mixing business with pleasure is a terrible idea.

Too bad avoiding him is impossible.

Not when the way he looks at me makes my pulse trip.

And not when one kiss from him makes me want things I've never wanted before.

Falling for him was never part of the plan.

But the closer I get to the truth about my friend's disappearance, the more Asher insists I stop digging.

Because Maple Valley has secrets.

And someone wants the past to stay buried.

But I came here looking for answers.

I never expected to find the one man who could derail my plans.

Or ruin me completely.

Release Blitz & Review - SAVING ROMANCE by S.E. Rose

SAVING ROMANCE

S.E. Rose

Release Date: April 27

Carly Maxwell has spent the last three years putting her life back together.

This single mom works hard as a teacher to help her daughter have everything she needs. It hasn’t been easy. She’s done it all alone. After a bad breakup, she swore off men and focused on her career, friends, and being a mom. The one constant in her life has been her neighbor. He’s been there for her through everything. He’s the perfect guy, and she’d never do anything to threaten their friendship.

Brayden Murphy hasn’t dated in years. His no serious relationship rule has kept him from even considering asking out his gorgeous neighbor, Carly. After all, he promised Carly’s daughter that he’d always be there for them. And he’d never forgive himself if he ruined that.

These two have pushed each other so far into the friend zone that they can’t even see the chemistry between them. But will sharing a villa while at a destination wedding change everything?