Cross-Check by Cala Riley is NOW LIVE!

Grab it here: https://geni.us/Cross-Check

Do you like:

Hockey Romance

Teammate’s Little Sister

Friends to Lovers

Found Family

One wrong move on the ice can shatter dreams—but what about matters of the heart?

Kellan Cooper’s hockey career has always been his anchor, but after losing his best friend and his confidence, he’s skating on thin ice. Determined to prove he’s more than his mistakes, Kellan is focused on redemption—until he meets Cora James. She’s bold, driven, and utterly off-limits. She’s also his team captain’s little sister, a complication he doesn’t need but can’t seem to resist.

For Cora, college is her chance to step out of the shadows of her overprotective family and claim her independence. But her carefully laid plans are thrown into chaos when Kellan crashes into her life. Beneath his cocky exterior is a man grappling with his own demons, and every moment with him leaves her questioning where her loyalties—and her heart—truly lie.

As forbidden lines blur, Kellan and Cora must decide if the risk of breaking the rules is worth the reward of finding themselves—and each other. But with reputations, relationships, and futures on the line, will their love be the ultimate victory, or just another loss?

For fans of The Deal by Elle Kennedy and Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, Cross Check delivers a captivating mix of passion, redemption, and heart. Get your copy today and experience the thrill of a love worth fighting for.

#calariley #hockeyromance #smutbooks

#spicybookrecs #readmorebooks

#ContemporaryRomance

#friendstolovers #romancereads #sportsromance

#hockeyromancebooks #sportsromancebooks

My Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 out of 5

College can be a time of awakening and finding one’s self. It is also a time for reflection and redemption for Kellan Cooper. After losing the woman the thought he would marry during his freshman year, Kellan has been on a spiral and hasn’t found a way out.

Until one night at a party that he attended with a team mate. Sitting by himself reflecting on everything that happened the prior year, Kellan finds himself in a dark place again and instead of sitting around at a party he’s ready to head home. However, it seems that someone has other plans for him, is it fate or karma?

I enjoyed reading this second book in the Walker University series, I like the characters and the story was a good read. Kellan and Cora had good chemistry and the progression of Kellan’s character was good to see. He was able to step back and see how he had been before and was ready to change his ways and his life to be a better person for Cora.

Cora was able to stand on her own and had the backing of Kellan to tell her brother and mom that she had different plans for her life than they were pushing her into. I look forward to more of these books and the characters from them getting their stories.

Metropolis

Edinburgh, 1936. People are disappearing. The police are clueless. Can Finlay MacBeth track down the perpetrator before someone else goes missing?

Haunted by his recent past, Professor Finlay MacBeth returns to his home town to take up a new post at the university. Within hours, his reputation for solving the occasional murder prompts the police to ask for his help. Four men—seemingly unconnected—have vanished into thin air. MacBeth must find whatever it is that links the men before the kidnapper strikes again.

But the police aren’t the only ones interested in MacBeth’s activities, and the amateur sleuth soon discovers that finding the missing men is the least of his problems…

In this thriller series set in Edinburgh, Metropolis is book #1 in the Finlay MacBeth Thriller series.

Purchase Link – https://geni.us/ps3XiW

Author Bio –

Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland. He has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate.

He has published more than thirty books, and his short stories have appeared in several literary mags, most recently in Witcraft, and Flash Fiction North. Colin lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland where he writes novels, stories, poems and the occasional song.

He also plays several musical instruments and makes rather nice vegan cakes.

Social Media Links –

Website: https://colingarrow.co.uk/

Twitter: https://x.com/colingarrow

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colingarrowauthor.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colinngarrow/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/colin-garrow

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colingarrowthewriter

My Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 out of 5

Suspense, regret, and danger, all a part of Finlay MacBeth’s life in Metropolis. His notoriety comes from a case he helped to solve in London, then another that brought him regret and haunts his nights.

I enjoyed this thriller and the suspense of who the police were looking for was hidden very well, until closer to the end. I had an inkling of what the reasons were behind the disappearances mid way through, but I didn’t have clue as to the who until later. I enjoy reading a thriller or mystery that keeps you wondering, guessing, and thinking throughout the story. This story did that. I enjoyed the characters and the plot of this book.

This was my first read of Colin Garrow, but I would pick up one his books again to read. I like his writing style and his character building. While I’m not a big reader on historical or past stories, this one was an enjoyable read.

Major Grace Samuels, a trauma surgeon deployed to Afghanistan, spends her life helping her fellow soldiers overcome disease and combat injuries. But her own wounds are harder to heal. Wracked with guilt over the death of a fellow soldier, she finds comfort in her only friend and appointed bodyguard, weapons sergeant Jacob “Sharp” Foster.

Sharp feels more for Grace than a soldier should, more than he wants to admit. When the team discovers a new, quick-to-kill strain of anthrax, he tries to focus on the mission to find its source. He knows he can help Grace defeat her demons, but first they must defeat the deadly outbreak.

Sharp is Grace’s most loyal ally, but in close quarters, he starts to feel like more. She can’t watch someone else she cares about die—but she might not have a choice. The closer they get to finding the source of the strain, the closer it gets to finding them.

Doctor Sophia Perry has always been a fighter—the youngest virologist and hematologist in the nation, she’s made a career of outsmarting diseases. But her own battle is one she can’t win. With cancer stealing her future, Sophia is determined to make her remaining time count. When a deadly outbreak sweeps through a Syrian refugee camp, she throws herself into the investigation, keeping her diagnosis a secret from everyone, including the soldier assigned to protect her.

Communications Sergeant Connor Button has his own scars from war, both seen and unseen. Back on active duty after a devastating explosion, he doesn’t expect his next mission to awaken something inside him he thought was lost: hope. Sophia’s brilliance and determination spark a fire in him he hasn’t felt in years, and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe—even when her relentless pursuit of answers puts them both in danger.

As violence threatens the camp and deadly truths come to light, Sophia and Connor must face more than just their enemies. With time running out, they must decide if love is worth the risk when every moment could be their last.

Alicia Stone has always lived up to her name: unbreakable. As the daughter of a general and a Special Forces consultant with black belts in three martial arts, she’s fought her way to the top in a world where respect is never freely given. No one questions her strength or dares to call her Alicia—except Colonel Robert Maxmillian.

As head of the elite Biological Response Team, Max is no stranger to pressure, but his toughest mission yet lies in northern Iraq, where a deadly virus—or weapon—threatens to wipe out entire villages. With Alicia by his side to protect him, he’s ready to face the unknown. But what starts as a mission of survival quickly becomes personal as the undeniable attraction between them grows.

Alicia knows Max would be the perfect no-strings fling, but he’s not interested in settling for less than everything. Their passion ignites even as the stakes rise. When their investigation leads them closer to the source of the virus, they uncover a dangerous enemy willing to sacrifice anything to keep their secrets buried.

With lives on the line and their own hearts in the balance, Alicia and Max must trust each other to survive. Can they take down a ruthless scientist before time runs out—or will their mission end in betrayal and heartbreak?

Trigger warnings: These stories contain references to PTSD, childhood trauma, battlefield trauma, and suicidal thoughts.

HOSTED BY:

My Reviews: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 out of 5 for all three!

Deadly Strain – This was my first read of Julie Rowe, and I loved the Biological Rapid Response Team books.

Grace and Sharp work well together and their interactions lead to a romantic relationship. Now they’ll need to beat the clock to make sure they both survive the danger that has been lurking around them and is now right in front of them.

I loved the suspense, action, and characters of this book and couldn’t wait to start the second book in this series.

Great story and writing.

Lethal Game – Another great story in this series. I loved the characters and the plot was suspenseful, action packed and very deadly.

I was so excited to read this book in the Biological Rapid Response Team, it was with a different couple, but still had the action, danger, and suspense as the first one. Along with a few characters from the first book.

This book was hard to put down. From the beginning of the story to the end, I was held captive and didn’t want the book to end, but loved every bit of it.

Viral Justice – Whew! Didn’t expect him to be so sexy, but he is! Daddy vibes!!

He leads the Biological Rapid Response Team and has a great team of doctors that know what they’re doing. They are sent out based on their expertise and knowledge of diseases and viruses. When the same man is determined to take down everyone in the world due to his grief, Colonel Robert Maximillian is the last one available when another outbreak takes over a village. Unbeknownst to him and his body guard though, it’s more dangerous than they first expected. Now with the deadly virus working it’s way through everyone in the village, Max needs to figure out what caused it and where it’s coming from. However, he also has to worry about the madman that has put a price on his head.

The conclusion to the Biological Rapid Response Team was a great ending to this series. I love the characters, the story and the ending. These books brought all of action, danger, and steam that I was hoping for and more. I will be looking for more of Julie Rowe’s books to read in the future. Great job!

♦ ♦ ♦

𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙃𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙢. 𝙐𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.

𝙈𝙞𝙖

Moving back to Shine wasn’t my plan, but when I thought my grandmother needed me, I dropped everything to come home. That’s what I’ve always done—what’s always been expected of me.

What I didn’t expect was to run into the only boy I ever dreamed of in high school who grew up to be the most beautiful man I’d ever laid eyes on. A man who is now the Vice President of the Black Roses MC.

The last thing I should do is get swept into the dangerous life that I steered clear from when I came back, but there’s no denying the fierce pull between us. 

And there’s no telling where I’ll end up if I give in.

𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙭

My job is to protect my club and my brothers. I don’t have time for the little librarian who runs circles through my mind. 

But no matter how many times I tell myself she’s too good, too clean for someone like me, she finds a way to infiltrate the walls I erected years ago. 

I should have stopped myself from tasting her, from claiming her, but one kiss changed everything. 

Now, there’s a danger lurking, and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before. A new enemy is at our doorstep. And this time it’s my woman they’re after.

♦ ♦ ♦

Kate is a lover of all things books. It doesn’t matter what genre, as long as there’s a HEA, she’s in. She started reading romance in high school and would hide novels in textbooks to read during class. Becoming an author was always a dream she had and finally decided to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and write what she loves. She grew up in the beautiful upper peninsula of Michigan then became a West Coast girl where she lives with her amazing husband and hilarious son. She would love to hear from readers so check out all her socials and sign up for her newsletter so she can keep you up to date on her books and whatever other ramblings come to mind.

 ♦ ♦ ♦

My Review:⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 out of 5

I loved Knox and Mia’s story.

Knox remembers Mia from school and the few times he went to her brother’s house parties, but she was always on the sidelines and seemingly not the type to party. She’s shy, quiet, and focused.

Mia has had a crush on Knox since she first saw him, she was fourteen. He played football with her older brother, but they didn’t hang around in the same circle of friends. Knox was popular with the girls and Mia figured he’d never even knew she existed.

Now both are adults and one incident brings them back into each others stratosphere. Her crush is just as strong, but she knows she’s not his type and he kind of scared her, now she’s tongue tied around him.

When these two figure out their barriers, it gets pretty steamy. Knox is a patient man that is gentle with Mia, nothing like what she expected.

The Missing Ones

Ray Eke has always found peace in his job, collecting litter for the city council. Until the day he finds the brutalized, bloodless body of a girl on his round. He recognizes her immediately too. Lauren Pascoe went missing three years before.

It’s also clear she hasn’t been lying on the roadside verge all this time. Someone’s clearly been holding her prisoner. Keeping her as their very special toy.

The police know it couldn’t have been Ray, whose gentle heart is obvious to all. But then another girl is taken. And she’s someone who Ray had a connection to, back in his previous job as an accountant, before his breakdown…

The twists in this novel are guaranteed to leave readers with their jaws on the floor. Just when you think you know who the killer is, you’ll have your mind blown!

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/TheMissingOnes

Author Bio –

Anita Waller is the author of many bestselling psychological thrillers and the Kat and Mouse crime series. She lives in Sheffield, which continues to be the setting of many of her thrillers.

Social Media Links

Facebook: @anita.m.waller

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/AnitaWallerNews

Bookbub profile: @anitamayw

My Review: ⭐⭐⭐✨ 3.5 out of 5

An interesting story, good characters, interesting twists, and good build up in the suspense and thriller areas.

I loved the detectives in this story. The detective team was seemingly a new team but they found their way to work together and solve the crime that was wreaking havoc in their town. The story had was twisted and suspenseful, and I enjoyed it.

However, it left me with questions unanswered. If there’s to be another book in the series, great, but it didn’t seem that there will be. I give this book a 3.5 star rating.

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

UNIVERSAL

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

All free in Kindle Unlimited

COMING SOON

Releasing September 22

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AUTHOR BIO

With a flair for all things creative, USA Today Bestselling Author K E Osborn, is drawn to the written word. Exciting worlds and characters flow through her veins, coming to life on the page as she laughs, cries, and becomes enveloped in the storyline right along with you. She’s entirely at home when writing sassy heroines and alpha males that rise from the ashes of their pasts.

K E Osborn comforts herself with tea and Netflix, after all, who doesn’t love a good binge?

Explosive. Addictive. Romance. at www.keosbornauthor.com

AUTHOR LINKS

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK GROUP

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

AMAZON

NEWSLETTER

TIKTOK

My Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 out of 5

I both hated and loved this book! It’s going to be a tough ride all the way through it.

I love the Defiance MC characters in all chapters. They’re loyal, strong, and lethal. The LA Defiance has some badass women and they are just as strong and lethal as the men. Victorious is going to try all of the characters in the LA Defiance and it’s going to be brutal.

Clover and Wes are headed to Vegas for Clover’s social media work with Wes “Phoenix” will have their own battles to fight, but their minds will be in LA on their families as well. They’ll be tugged in two directions during this ride. I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next one, but I’m also scared to read it.

If you love:
 Enemies-to-lovers tension
 Fake relationship chaos
 Small-town romantic suspense
 A protective fire chief with a soft side
…then Unraveled is for you.

He’s her neighbor…her enemy…so why has she told everyone he’s her boyfriend?

Sky Williams has a neighbor from hell. Every day, Becket finds a new way to torture her. Sometimes it involves cutting trees on her property line; other days—most days—it includes using an annoying nickname he knows she hates. It’s safe to say she can’t stand the guy. So why then, when her parents persistently try to set her up with one of their church friends, does she find herself blurting out that she’s dating Becket?

Retired Navy SEAL Becket Hayes has a great life. His family is amazing, he’s the fire chief of Amber Ridge—a job he loves. And more recently, he’s found unexpected joy in fighting with his cute but easily riled neighbor. She seems to take offense in his very existence. So when she publicly declares Becket as her boyfriend, he’s intrigued enough to play along. It’s just meant to be for show, but the longer they “date”, the less fake it feels.

When a string of seemingly unconnected incidents occur, putting Sky’s life in danger, Becket suddenly has even more reason to remain close. It appears there are parts of her past that refuse to be left behind. And someone determined to ensure Sky has no future—with or without Becket.

A Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Fake Relationship, Romantic Suspense from Bestselling Author Nyssa Kathryn.

My Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 out of 5

I loved these two! Great chemistry, story, and characters in this book. The neighborhood will never be the same again.

Becket and Sky fight daily about something. Becket is the instigator on most days. He’s the fire Chief of Amber Ridge, a firefighter, retired Navy SEAL, and the bane of Sky’s existence on a daily basis. He is only trying to keep her safe from the danger lurking in their town, but he goes about it in the worst way. He’s like the little boy at school that pulls the girls ponytail because he likes her but doesn’t know how to show it.

Sky came back home to escape the tragedy that she lived through in Wyoming, but now it seems that her bad luck has caught up to her. When things begin to happen to her in her home town, Becket is determined to keep her safe and protect her, but will he be in time?

I love all of Nyssa Katheryn’s books and how they seamlessly move from one series to the next with great characters and stories. I love her character and can’t wait for the next book in this series. It’s going to be awesome!

Grab It Here: https://geni.us/midnight_

Do you like:
💜Age Gap
💜Single Dad x Nanny
💜Close Proximity
💜Praise k*nk

Blurb:
Midnight
The best and the worst thing happened to me when I was nineteen.
I became the father to two beautiful twin girls, but it tied me to their mother.
I never thought I would trust a woman again until I met her.
Lainey.
She’s everything I should stay away from. Young, gorgeous, and comes with a lot of baggage.
Not only does she work at my tattoo shop, but she is also my twin’s nanny.
So why can’t I leave her alone?

Lainey
My only goal in life is to survive.
When I walked into the Lotus MC club that night, that was the only thought on my mind.
I had no idea what I was getting into until I met him.
Midnight.
Not only is he offering me a life raft, but there’s more to him than the grumpy persona he puts on.
When his life is thrown for a loop, I offer to jump in and help him.
Afterall, he is my attractive boss who I owe my life to.

#calariley #LotusMC #mcromance #mcromancebooks #spicybookrecs #smutbooks #kindleunlimited #Nowlive  #NewRelease #SingleDadromance #agegap #workplaceromance

My Review: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 5 out of 5

Betrayal, secrets, deceit, and danger all in one dark, page-turning book.

Midnight was trapped, but he loved his girls. He would do anything for them. He’s done with women though after the mother of his twin daughters shows her true colors and leaves Midnight hurting and worried that he won’t see his girls enough.

Lainey is a young woman that is willing to find a way to survive, but when she takes the advice of her roommate, that is not her friend, she finds herself in a situation that she would never intentionally go into. When the leather wearing biker comes over and guides her to the couch he’s sitting on, she’s not sure what he wants. When Midnight explains things to her and tells her that he’s only trying to protect her, she relaxes, a little.

Midnight and Lainey have both been deceived and betrayed, now they are both trying to find their way to the HEA they both deserve.

I love the characters in this series and Midnight’s story was just a great as the others. I can’t wait to read more of the Lotus MC books to come.