Monday, April 20, 2026

Available Now!! Rock Me by Jessica Buss

 

Title: Rock Me
Author: Jessica Buss
Genre/Tropes: Small Town - Sexy Geologist/Injured Retired MLB Pitcher - Protector - Opposites Attract - Virgin - True Crime Podcaster - Secret Online Pinup Model - Crochet Queen
Release Date: April 20, 2026








Sharing a heated glance across a crowded bar, they both feel the spark of something monumental. And then life throws a curveball, separating them before they even have a chance to properly meet.

Bryce is a former major league pitcher who retired after a career-ending injury. Still young, he embraces his love of geology, and secures a job in Homer, Alaska. He falls in love with the state, and becomes infatuated with a woman he saw only briefly, who looks strikingly similar to an internet pin-up model he follows.

Craving independence and privacy after high school graduation, Lucinda moved to a small town outside Homer to start living her best life as a true crime podcaster. A virginal introvert with a big heart, she spends her free time crocheting blankets for babies in the NICU. But she’s not as innocent as she appears. She has a secret… She’s a sultry internet pin-up model.

Since exchanging glances that one fateful night, they’ve been pining for each other. Then fate steps in and brings them together in the most unexpected place… on a fishing charter in the middle of Kachemak Bay.

An unlikely pair with intense, unquestioning chemistry, they’re forced to work together, and confront the assumptions they hold about one another.








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The Cardinal Code : Absolution by Avery Sterling with a GIVEAWAY

 

The Cardinal Code: Absolution
Avery Sterling
(The Cardinal Code, #2)
Publication date: April 17th 2026
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

The Cardinal Code: Absolution continues the dark, seductive saga of the Cardinales—an elite society of vampires whose influence shapes governments, history, and the hidden world beneath human civilization.

Paislee Sullivan never wanted power. She only wanted Michael. But loving a man born into a secret dynasty of blood and control means standing in the shadow of everything he represents.

When Michael Chamberlain is summoned to London, he’s pulled into a political struggle rooted in ancient bloodlines and forbidden truths. As old laws are challenged and long-buried secrets begin to surface, Paislee finds herself no longer at the edge of his world—but at its center.

The deeper she is drawn into Cardinales society, the more dangerous her presence becomes. To some, she is leverage. To others, a threat. To Michael, she is the only thing that has ever mattered.

Bound by love and hunted by forces determined to preserve the Order’s control, they must confront a truth the Dominium has spent centuries suppressing.

Because some bloodlines were never meant to merge.

And loving each other may cost them everything.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

EXCERPT:

Paislee leaned her head on Michael’s shoulder.

“You didn’t look surprised by that envelope.”

“Because I wasn’t.”

“What is it?”

“An invitation,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers and brushing her knuckles with his lips.

Her head lifted. “An invitation for what?”

“To Etxe Bakarra.”

“What’s that?”

“A celebration they hold every year—but barely understand. It was hand-delivered. Required my signature. Which means I must attend or face consequences.”

She studied the envelope, running her fingers over its embossed seal. “It’s beautiful. What is Etxe Bakarra?”

“A celebration of unity. Of peace.”

“Are you required to attend every year?”

“No.”

“Then why now?”

“Because the harvest moon aligns with the autumn equinox. It’s incredibly rare.”

She blinked. “Harvest moon, autumn equinox . . . the Order sounds mystical.”

He chuckled. “It’s their favorite bedtime story.”

As the car hummed down the avenue, she turned the envelope over in her hands.

“You didn’t even open it.”

“I know what it says.”

“I’ll open it, then.”

Her eyes skimmed the elegant script inside. Then she paused. “Michael . . . why is my name on it?”

He went still.

“Right under yours. It says the invitation extends to ‘Michael Chamberlain and companion, Paislee Sullivan.’”

He reached over and took the invitation from her hands. His easy charm shuttered, replaced by something darker. Calculating.

Michael stared out the window for a long moment.

“They want to see you,” he said quietly.

Paislee frowned. “Why?”

“I don’t know.”

A pause hung between them.

She rested her head against his shoulder, listening to the steady thud of his heart beneath the fine weave of his jacket. He didn’t speak again, but he didn’t have to. She could feel it in the way he held her hand tighter than before—the silent promise tucked into his touch.

Whatever this celebration meant, whatever game the Order was playing, she was now a part of it.

Author Bio:

Avery Sterling's love for the romance genre began in her teen years when she picked up her first novel. She was captivated by the sweeping scale of emotions brought about by the words. The experience catapulted her towards learning the art of wielding a breathtaking adventure, with a love that felt authentic. Wanting to inspire people with her own thoughts and words, she finished her first novel at sixteen. It was a step towards understanding the essence of what she wished to create.

Most of her youth was spent traveling, searching out the romance and beauty in her everchanging world. From the waves that crashed against the rocky shores of Downeast, Maine, to the warm breezes of the Caribbean, she discovered that love was universal, apparent in its grandest and simplest of forms. Her goal is to write novels an audience can relate to, one that conveys the truth and nature of love… with all that steamy romance.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / X


GIVEAWAY!

The Cardinal Code: Absolution Blitz


Fracture by Basar Gorur with a GIVEAWAY

 

Fracture
Basar Gorur
(Shadow Sovereign Series, #1)
Publication date: April 17th 2026
Genres: Adult, Techno Thriller

A murdered diplomat. A dying man’s cryptic message. A conspiracy that could shatter NATO.

When U.S. geopolitical strategist Roger ‘Simms’ Osbourne receives word that his colleague and friend Aslı Green has been killed, he inherits more than grief. He inherits her secret: evidence of a sophisticated Russian operation that sank a Ukrainian tanker and made it look like an accident.

Sent to London to sell a critical NATO surveillance system, Simms quickly discovers his official mission is compromised. A powerful British political faction, backed by shadowy money and royal connections, is determined to see him fail. The deeper he digs into Aslı’s murder, the more he realizes the two threats are connected.

Forced to abandon the rulebook, Simms assembles an unlikely alliance: his embattled team, a mysterious operative named Katya who knows too much, and assets on both sides of the law. Together, they uncover a sprawling network funneling Russian profits through international shell companies to fuel a political war against the West.

But Russian Admiral Sidorov isn’t waiting for the dust to settle. His devastating military demonstration exposes NATO’s vulnerabilities and humiliates the alliance on the world stage. And lurking beneath it all is an even darker secret: Chinese technology at the heart of Russia’s most advanced weapons.

Now Simms must wage war on three fronts: political, financial, and military. Because if he fails, his friend died for nothing. And the next strike won’t be disguised as an accident.

For fans of Tom Clancy, Mark Greaney, and Brad Thor.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Ankara. Surveillance van outside Mikhail’s apartment. Evening.

Jack adjusted the lens for the hundredth time. Jones was sorting sunflower seeds by some private system known only to God and possibly his therapist.

“Stilettos,” Jones said.

“We’re not doing this.”

“We’re absolutely doing this. We’ve been here four hours. I’ve counted the bricks on that building. There are 2,847. I’ve earned a conversation.”

“You counted wrong. There are 2,846.”

“You counted them too?”

“Shut up.” Jack refused to look at him. “What about stilettos?”

“Women wear them voluntarily. On purpose. They pay extra for the privilege of balancing on pencil erasers.”

“Groundbreaking analysis. Call the sociology department.”

“I’m serious. Men’s fashion evolution went: uncomfortable, less uncomfortable, sweatpants. Enlightenment achieved. Women’s fashion went: uncomfortable, more uncomfortable, here’s a torture device from the Spanish Inquisition, but we made it beige.”

Jack checked the window. Nothing.

“Maybe they like being tall.”

“Platform sneakers exist. Wedges exist. Sensible block heels exist. Those chunky things that look like orthopedic equipment for fashionable astronauts.” Jones cracked a seed with surgical precision. “The stiletto isn’t about height. It’s about violence.”

“Violence.”

“Think about it. Historically, women couldn’t carry weapons. Swords, daggers, frowned upon. Very unlady-like. But shoes?” Jones gestured broadly, scattering shells. “Nobody regulates footwear. So some genius says, what if we put a three-inch steel spike on a pump and call it couture?”

“That’s actually not terrible.”

“I’m occasionally not terrible. Mark the calendar.”

The radio crackled. Static. The universe’s way of saying nothing was happening, and nothing would happen.

“You know they were daggers first,” Jones said. “Fifteenth century. Little needle-point shivs for punching through armor gaps.”

Jack checked the monitor. Still dark. “We are not talking about fashion history.”

“It’s tactical history. ‘Stiletto’ comes from stilus. The little metal spike Romans used for writing.” Jones pointed a shell at Jack. “It literally means ‘angry pen.’ The shoe is just a knife you can walk in.”

“You made that up.”

“Look it up. CIA even tried to weaponize them in the fifties. Program called Stiletto Rose. Pop-out blades in the heel.”

“Bullshit.”

“Swear to God. Total failure. Mechanics didn’t work. But someone tried.” Jones grinned. “Boredom is the mother of weapons development.”

Jack massaged his temples.

“Your ex-wife had stilettos, didn’t she?”

“Louboutins. Red soles. Cost more than my first car.” Jones found a seed worthy of consumption. “She never wore them. Kept them in the box. I asked why. She said they weren’t for wearing, they were for knowing she could wear them.”

“That explains the divorce.”

“Many things explain the divorce. Most of them are my fault. Some of them footwear-adjacent.”

The window remained dark. Jack was developing a personal vendetta against it.

The radio crackled.

“All teams, target vehicle approaching.”

Jack grabbed the camera. Jones swept the sunflower seeds aside.

“Finally,” Jones said. “I had a whole bit about platform shoes being siege equipment.”

“Save it.”

“Battering rams for the fashion-forward.”

“I will leave you here.”

Author Bio:

Başar Görür;

Writes geopolitical techno-thrillers grounded in institutions, leverage, and the real mechanics behind modern power. He has a BA degree in International Relations.

During his military service, he served on the personal staff of the Commander of the War Academies, working directly for a four-star air force general as an aide and translator. That experience informs how he writes briefings, decision cycles, and pressure under uncertainty.

He later held senior executive roles at PwC and at 3M Corporation headquarters, operating in multinational environments where cross-border incentives and capital flows shape outcomes. He now leads a private asset-management business.

Outside of work, he is a licensed captain and avid scuba diver who spends several months each year at sea and has traveled extensively. These experiences shape the Shadow Sovereign series.

Amazon / Instagram


GIVEAWAY!

Fracture Blitz


Audiobook Review for Love Overboard by Kandi Steiner

 

Love Overboard by Kandi Steiner

Published:   April 21, 2026 by Simon Maverick

TROPES:  💞 Second Chance Romance, 📺 Reality TV, 🤏🏼 Forced Proximity, 🚫 Forbidden Romance, ❤️‍🩹 Angsty, ⛴️ Below Deck Vibes

 

Taken from Goodreads:  From USA Today, #1 Amazon, and BookTok bestselling author Kandi Steiner comes a brand new standalone. Fans of Below Deck will love this angsty, tumultuous romance between two exes surprised to find out they’re working on the same yacht for the season - and that their every interaction, innocent or not, is being filmed for a television show.

 

Ember Reed is finally living her chief stew on a Mediterranean superyacht, sun-kissed days at sea, and the star of Close Quarters, the hottest new reality TV show. But just as she finds her stride, the producers throw her a curveball—by hiring the one man who nearly sank her.

Finn Pearson was the one that got away. The boy who kissed her like they had forever, then left without a word. But now he’s the chef in her new crew, and the cameras are watching their every move, innocent or not.

Even on a superyacht, there’s nowhere to hide from the past. Every stolen glance, every whispered argument, every lingering memory threatens to ignite what never fully burned out. And as the tension spills into their day jobs, even the dinner service is spiraling into disaster.

They’ve crashed before…but could eight weeks at sea be their second chance to get it right? Or will it be the storm that finally sinks them for good?

 

My Thoughts:   I am a fan of the reality show Below Deck and this book is all that and more.  I love the yacht setting with fun and quirky characters.   These characters worked hard, played harder, and had so much going on.   It seemed everyone who was on the yacht had a tie to each other somehow.   

I listened to the audio version of Love Overboard and enjoyed it all.  I liked the glimpses into the characters sub conscience, getting to see a memory or a thought that was better not said out loud.  The narrators did a great job.  I am a fan of dual narration and these narrators were perfect for Finn and Ember. 

Thank you Hambright PR for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-LISTEN list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon

 

Meet the Author (taken from her website):  Kandi Steiner is a USA Today and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author living in Tennessee. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.

An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. Her love for writing started at the ripe age of 10, and in 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.”

She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a hopeless romantic and found herself bursting at the seams with love stories she was eager to tell.

When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, hiking, yoga, spending quality time with her family (fur babies included) and soaking up the sweetness of life.

CONNECT WITH KANDI:

 NEWSLETTER   FACEBOOK    FACEBOOK READER GROUP(Kandiland)   INSTAGRAM   TIKTOK   GOODREADS   BOOKBUB   PINTEREST

Friday, April 17, 2026

Book Review for Garbage Man by Max Monroe

 

Garbage Man by Max Monroe

Published:  April 17, 2026 by Max Monroe LLC

Tropes:   ✨ Fated Mates, 🏒 Hot Hockey Player, 🧛 Secret Vampire World, ☠️ Touch Her and D!e, 🩸 Hidden Bloodline, 🦸 Superhuman Abilities

Taken from Goodreads:  He collects trash for a living.
Before sunrise, he’s collecting her.


Rook Slater is big, brutal, and permanently grumpy. By day, he’s a garbage man. By night, he plays hockey and keeps the world at arm’s length.

Until the fated mate bond strikes hard and fast. One look at Kylie Moon—right after his twenty-eighth birthday—and destiny snaps into place.

She’s his.

There’s just one problem.

Her blood is rare—coveted—and the monsters in the shadows want to claim her.
Evil. Elite. Powerful. These are the kind of men who stop at nothing to have what they want.

But Rook Slater doesn’t lose what’s his.
And he certainly doesn’t bend the knee.

He’s good at taking out the trash—and these monsters are next.

Once fate locks in, Rook won’t just fight for the woman he loves.
He’ll kidnap and kill for her.

My Thoughts:  Two hundred+ pages of hate, protection, and attraction that leads to being a fated mate.   Rook is a grumpy garbage man that plays hockey but mostly he protects Kylie.   Kylie is a human that does not know that she needs protection. 

Garbage Man is a quick read.   The heat is intense and 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.  I liked the interactions between Kylie and Rook.  Kylie has some spunk to her and is not afraid to stand up for herself.   She is not afraid to speak up but has no idea what is coming for her. 

I enjoyed this book.   I have never read a vampire hockey romance.  I would love a little  more hockey but the idea is super fun.

Thank you Hambright PR for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon

 

Meet the Authors (taken from their website):  Many moons ago, a dynamic duo of romance authors teamed up under the pseudonym Max Monroe, and, well, the rest is history...

Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of nearly fifty contemporary romance titles. Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their social media newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.