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New Release – I Wish You Were Mine by Lauren Layne

Title: I Wish You Were MineSeries: Oxford #2

Author: Lauren Layne

Publisher: LovesweptGenre: Contemporary Romance

Release
Date: February 2, 2016

Perfect for fans of Alice Clayton and Emma Chase, Lauren Layne’s Oxford series heats up in this story of forbidden desire as a brooding jock hoping for a comeback falls for a woman who’s strictly off-limits.

A year ago, Jackson Burke was married to the love of his life and playing quarterback for the Texas Redhawks. Now he’s retired, courtesy of the car accident that ruined his career—and single, after a nasty scandal torpedoed his marriage. Just as he’s starting to get used to his new life as a health and fitness columnist forOxford magazine, his unpredictable ex shows up on his doorstep in Manhattan. Jackson should be thrilled. But he can’t stop thinking about the one person who’s always been there for him, the one girl he could never have: her younger sister.

Mollie Carrington can’t say no to Madison. After all, her older sister practically raised her. So when Madison begs for help in winning her ex-husband back, Mollie’s just glad she got over her own crush on Jackson ages ago—or so she thought. Because as Mollie reconnects with Jackson, she quickly forgets all her reasons to stay loyal to her sister. Tempted by Jackson’s mellow drawl and cowboy good looks, Mollie is sick and tired of coming in second place. But she can’t win if she doesn’t play the game.

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Stay tuned, BFF K’s Review of I Wish You Were Mine is coming later this week!

Purchase Links

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Also by Lauren Layne

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BOOKS A MILLION

Read BFF K’s Review of Irresistibly Yours

About the Author

Lauren Layne is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels. Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to NYC to pursue a writing career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals. Lauren currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll likely find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).

Author Links

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Review – Happily Ever Ninja by Penny Reid

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Happily Ever Ninja
by Penny Reid
Publication Date:
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Humor

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

From the USA Today Best Selling Author of ‘Truth or Beard’

There are three things you need to know about Fiona Archer… I would tell you what they are, but then I’d have to kill you.

But I can tell you that Fiona’s husband—the always irrepressible and often cantankerous Greg Archer—is desperately in love with his wife. He aches for her when they are apart, and is insatiable when they are together. Yet as the years pass, Greg has begun to suspect that Fiona is a ninja. A ninja mom. A ninja wife. A ninja friend. After fourteen years of marriage, Greg is trying not to panic. Because Fiona’s talent for blending in is starting to resemble fading away.

However, when unexpected events mean Fiona must take center stage to keep her family safe, her response stuns everyone—Greg most of all. It seems like Greg’s wish has come true.

Except… not.

When all is said and done, can Greg handle this new version of his wife? Will his irrepressible cantankerousness push her away? Or can the couple find a way forward without either being forced to step back into the shadows?

This is a full length, 100k word novel, and is the 5th book in the Knitting in the City Series. All books in the series can be read as a standalone except book #1.5

BFF K’s Review

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Penny Reid warns readers that this is an “odd book” in fact, all of her books are a little weird and that’s really what makes them so wonderful. Happily Ever Ninja is unlike anything else that I have read. The story centers around a married couple, their life, love and marriage. The tension in the book does not stem from a death or an illness or an affair. Penny Reid says, this is a book, “about a married couple with none of the cheating, divorcing, or standard plot-lines/tropes.” So, I wondered what it could possibly be about….

Happily Ever Ninja is a stunning, heart-warming, introspection of marriage. While Fiona and Greg may not be like every other married couple; she’s former CIA, and he works away from home months at a time. There are many, many parts that seem like a snapshot of my marriage and countless others that I know. It feels as though this book is a tribute to marriage, a hymn of praise dedicated to the ups and downs of these complex and essential relationships. I believe it is impossible to read this book without turning the looking glass to your own life. Those in a marriage will see common struggles and successes. Those who are searching for a happy marriage will find a realistic and honest look at the kind of relationship worth striving toward. Happily Ever Ninja does an amazing job of reminding us why the conquest is worth the struggles.

“But, I’ve yet to meet a monogamous person who is an expert on sex, nor have I ever met a polygamist who is an expert on love. Each marriage is a living thing, just as complex as the two individuals within it.”

Fiona is a fantastic heroine. While I was frustrated with Greg’s propensity to “save” Fiona when she is clearly more than capable; he has some seriously swoon-worthy moments. His quick wit, overwhelming devotion and that bloody British accent are almost too much. I love being able to check in with all of the amazing women from the Knitting in the City series. It feels like meeting up with a group of girlfriends I haven’t seen in months. Every book in this series leaves me more anxious for the next.

Penny Reid is a master of writing relationship-driven romance novels that are smart, funny, unique and completely unexpected. Happily Ever Ninja is another book on my list of ‘must reads’ and I will continue telling everyone about this wonderful, witty, unorthodox look at romance, commitment, love and marriage.

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An Advance Copy was received in exchange for an honest review.

Excerpt

I tucked my fingers under her chin and lifted her face to mine, stealing a kiss; true distress clawed at my chest, traveled like a spike down my spine. I didn’t want to guess, or entertain any possibilities. Inevitably, my mind always jumped to the worst possible conclusion whenever I saw her inexplicably sad (i.e. brain tumor).

Even so, I attempted to keep my tone level and calm. “What could be too important for the greeting card aisle? It’s the perfect place to tell me anything and everything. There’s likely a card we can buy afterward for the occasion.”

She huffed a laugh, laughed a bit more, and then began crying again.

Her laughter was a good sign, so I went with it.

“Let’s see . . .” I shuffled us both to the rack and plucked a greeting card from it. “You tell me if this one describes your situation.” I cleared my throat and began to read, “Dear Brother, Many blessings on your fortieth birthday. May your girlfriend bring home that hot girl she works with and suggest a three-way.”

Fiona began laughing in earnest, burying her face against my chest.

I returned the original card, walked us a few steps farther down the aisle, and selected another card at random. “Here’s another. Dear Friend, Thank you for your thoughtfulness. I am so lucky to have you in my life, especially after that time I hit you with my car and salted the earth around your house.

I cracked a smile as I grabbed another card. She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

“Dear Co-worker, Get well soon. Sorry about the scorpions in your bed. And the leprosy. And the chlamydia.”

“Stop! I can’t- I can’t breathe.” Fiona gripped the front of my shirt as though she needed my solid frame to remain upright.

I took one more step and picked a new card. “Dear Dad, Happy Father’s Day. I know I’m not your favorite child, but I hope you will . . . you will . . .” I stopped reading because Fiona had stopped laughing.

In fact, she’d grown eerily still, though her fists remained anchored in my shirt. I don’t think she was even breathing.

“Fe?”

She released an audible exhale—as though bracing herself—and titled her head back. New tears shone in her eyes and she looked . . . emotional.

Not sad. Not worried or scared. Just emotional.

And I knew.

“I’m going to be a dad,” I said.

She nodded, her mouth wanting to smile but her eyes betraying the disordered chaos of her thoughts.

I had no idea what she was thinking.

I had no idea what I was thinking.

But I felt like I’d just been punched, slapped across the face. And it felt scary. And good.

I felt like I was the king of the universe, the luckiest man alive.

I felt panic, because I didn’t know how to be a dad, at least not the kind I wanted to be.

I felt a bizarre surge of pride, of accomplishment.

I felt a heady wave of possessiveness, for this woman I loved, for the child we’d made. I felt responsible.

But I did not feel burdened.

And I knew nothing would ever be the same.

About the Author

SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).

By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.

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Review – Chasing Spring by R.S. Grey

Title: Chasing Spring

Author: R.S. Grey

Release Date: Feb 1, 2016

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I thought I’d left Blackwater, Texas behind for good. I didn’t belong in the small town, but my dad wouldn’t listen. He dragged me back home in his beat-up truck and dropped a bomb along the way: Chase Matthews was moving in with us. He was the golden boy of my high school, my former best friend, and the last person I wanted sleeping across the hall. His presence was too great a reminder of the ghosts I was trying to forget.

I didn’t ask for a hero. I don’t want to be saved.

To me, Lilah Calloway meant late nights sneakin’ out, moonlit hair, and sparklers in July. She was my best friend until the day she left and I’d assumed Blackwater had seen the last of her. Then, like a tempest, she rolled back into town for the final half of senior year. The chopped hair and dark devil-may-care attitude warned most people away, but I knew if I fought hard enough, I could find the lost girl.

I didn’t want to be her hero. Some girls don’t need to be saved.

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BFF K’s Review

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R.S. Grey is a master of the rom-com. I was a little anxious about cracking open something so different from her usual sweet spot. But, I soon realized there was nothing to fear. Grey is a serious talent. (Pun intended.) Chasing Spring is intense, suspenseful, heart-felt and emotional. It’s one that will definitely stick with me awhile.

Lilah and Chase have been tied together since before their birth. Their stories are complex and intricately interwoven. Lilah and Chase may only be teens, but their experiences have given them an intellect only possessed by those who have faced legitimate struggles and suffering. Lilah finds herself back in Blackwater, Texas, and suddenly roommates with her former best friend. He’s kind, caring, talented, humble, hard working and popular. Chase is the golden boy. This description is so fitting; I would sometimes picture him with a golden aura.

The burdens that Lilah and Chase are struggling to bear seem, at the same time, easier and more desperate when the two are in close proximity to one another. The uncovering of their shared pasts will have you rapidly turning the pages.

I have been an R.S. Grey fan because of her skillfully executed romantic comedies, but this book proves that she is adept in other styles as well. Her skill for crafting complex characters and enjoyable stories knows no boundaries. I am looking forward to many, many more of Grey’s books regardless of the genre.

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An Advance Copy was received in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author

I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way, I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things… everyday.

I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors include Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I’m a comedy geek and love all things “funny”. Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.

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New Release – Clutched by Elizabeth Lee

Chayse McCade learned along time ago that the only person she can depend on, both on and off the motocross track, is herself. Her parents disappointed her on more than one occasion and every relationship she’s ever had—platonic, professional, or romantic—has ended in disaster. When a sponsorship offer from Throttled Energy comes along she worries that it’s too good to be true. Especially when she meets the know-it-all riding coach they are insisting she work with.
Hoyt Travers is a lot of things. Level headed, discerning, intelligent, patient, or so he thought. That is until his new riding student rolled into his life. She’s wild, unpredictable, and gorgeous—all of which she uses to get under his skin in every possible way.
The two of them have undeniable, explosive chemistry that threatens to burn both of their dreams to the ground. Once Chayse let’s Hoyt in, she can’t seem to keep her protective walls up anymore. Too bad there’s a hard rule about them being anything more than colleagues. Hoyt never steps outside the lines but Chayse will push him in more ways than one. Lines will be irrevocably blurred in the final installment of the Wild Riders series.

Series Buy Links

Excerpt

“I don’t know, Hoyt,” I replied, matching the asshole-ish tone he’d just used on me. “Maybe because I like taking the turns high. I feel more in control on the top.”

The second I said it, I imagined myself taking control of the wound-tight man sitting in front of me. His eyes widened as if he were picturing something similar to the sexy scenario playing out in my head. I wanted to step over to the chair he was sitting in and slip onto his lap. I’d take those glasses he wore when we were watching films and toss them across the room. Or, maybe I’d leave them on. I wanted to make sure he saw exactly how capable I was. Sure, Hoyt was attractive in that thinks-he-knows-what’s-best-for-you kind of way, but I honestly hadn’t thought much about it as of late. Now though, all I wanted to do was find out what it would be like to catch him off guard. I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and shut him up with my tongue. I wanted to show him that I was capable of many things, on and off the track. “Is that really that big of a damn deal?” I asked, letting my eyes narrow in on his.

“You’re impossible,” he said, abruptly standing. “Why am I even here if you aren’t even going to try and make this work? You want to go ride your new bike… go,” he snapped, nodding his head toward the door. “I’m over it.”

This is exactly what happens when I try to do right. I’d been a model riding student. Working out all the time. Watching everything he turned on in front of me. Riding the track the way he wanted me to. Not to mention… no drinking. No bad food. No sex. That was where I went wrong. I’d given up all my vices at once, trying to prove that I wanted this sponsorship and now I was standing there contemplating jumping the one guy that seemed pissed off at me daily. I needed to get out of this place, get a drink, and get laid. In that order.

He was over it? Well that made two of us. He’d just forced me to watch a video with my father in it and stirred up a bunch of shit I’d buried long ago. Not to mention, all I wanted to do was get on my dirt bike and he was hell-bent on keeping me from it.

“I’m not sure exactly what has your panties in such a twist today,” I bit out, standing up to face him. “All I’ve done is exactly what you’ve told me to. The past week I’ve been on time, I’ve done every workout, I’ve watched every film. Even the ones of my deadbeat dad, thank you very fucking much for that, by the way. All I asked was how much longer you planned on making me watch other people ride when that’s exactly what I should be doing. Riding.”

I could see the remorse in his eyes but his stubborn stance remained. “Oh, you’re a coach now?”

“I don’t know. Are you?” I couldn’t stop the words if I’d wanted to. This guy had been pushing my buttons and I’d had enough. I felt my nails bite into my skin as my hands balled into fists at my side. “You helped your brother. Big deal. You’ve got about as much experience coaching as I do.”

He shook his head and huffed out a breath.

“If I was coaching a rider, I sure as shit wouldn’t expect the person I was hired to help to sit on her ass all afternoon and waste daylight. The whole point of a riding coach is to be a coach while riding. Why that’s such a hard concept for you to understand, I’m not sure.”

“Oh I understand the concept, sweetheart,” he assured me, pushing the chair that was separating us to the side. I felt my chest heave with the effort of taking in oxygen when he stepped toward me. His eyes looked like laser beams about to cut completely through me. “The problem is, the second you fire up your bike, you stop listening. You stop paying attention to the words that are coming out of my mouth. At least in here, sitting on your ass, you’re paying attention.” He reached up and tapped my forehead with his finger. “If you could get your brain to stop pretending that it knows everything then maybe I’d be more inclined to let you ride.”

I fought back a laugh. A laugh that was brought on by the fact that I was so utterly pissed at him that my only option was to laugh, cry, or punch him in the face. I never pretended to know it all. I never even pretended to know half of it.

“Well, maybe if you’d get this,” I reached up between us and tapped my finger against his forehead the same way he’d done to me. “Out of your ass and actually acted like a coach instead of a drill instructor, I’d be more inclined to listen.”

He didn’t move. He didn’t even flinch. He stood there with his jaw clenched and his eyes still locked on mine. I’d expected him to say something. To argue that I was wrong. Hell, a tiny little part of me actually even thought he might apologize. Instead, he did nothing.

Glaring and breathing—that was all we were both capable of at that particular moment.

About the Author:

When I’m not writing or playing the part of wife and mom, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand. Here’s the thing about being born and raised in a small town–you have a very vivid imagination! Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!

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New Release – Happily Ever Ninja by Penny Reid

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Happily Ever Ninja
by Penny Reid
Publication Date:
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Humor

BFF K’s Review is coming VERY soon! I ❤️ this book!

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

From the USA Today Best Selling Author of ‘Truth or Beard’

There are three things you need to know about Fiona Archer… I would tell you what they are, but then I’d have to kill you.

However, when unexpected events mean Fiona must take center stage to keep her family safe, her response stuns everyone—Greg most of all. It seems like Greg’s wish has come true.

Except… not.

This is a full length, 100k word novel, and is the 5th book in the Knitting in the City Series. All books in the series can be read as a standalone except book #1.5

About the Author

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New Release – Eight Dates with Romance by S.L. Scott

From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, S. L. Scott, comes a Limited Edition collection of romantic interludes taken from eight of her bestselling novels.

Love Email exchange between The Resistance Characters – Holliday and Dalton.

A Romantic Date with Hazel & Jude from Until I Met You – A California Outtake.

Chapters from:

The Resistance

The Reckoning

From the Inside Out

A Prior Engagement

Naturally, Charlie.

Valentine’s Day Outtakes from:

The Redemption

The Welcome to Paradise Series

Morning Glory

Eight Dates with Romance an S.L. Scott Valentine’s Day Collection is a great introduction to the fun and sexy writing of S.L. Scott. And, if you’ve already read her books, you can revisit some of your favorite characters in this fun compilation.

BFF K’s Reviews of S.L. Scott’s Books

Until I Met You

The Redemption

About the Author

New York Times and USA Bestselling Author, S. L. Scott, was always interested in the arts. She grew up painting, writing poetry and short stories, and wiling her days away lost in a good book and the movies.

With a degree in Journalism, she continued her love of the written word by reading American authors like Salinger and Fitzgerald. She was intrigued by their flawed characters living in picture perfect worlds, but could still debate that the worlds those characters lived in were actually the flawed ones. This dynamic of leaving the reader invested in the words, inspired Scott to start writing with emotion while interjecting an underlying passion into her own stories.

New Release – The Baller by Vi Keeland

The first time I met Brody Easton was in the men’s locker room.

It was my first interview as a professional sportscaster.

The famed quarterback decided to bare all.

And by all, I don’t mean he told me any of his secrets.

No. The arrogant ass decided to drop his towel, just as I asked the first question. On camera.

The Super Bowl MVP quickly adopted a new hobby—screwing with me.

When I pushed back, he shifted from wanting to screw with me, to wanting to screw me.

But I don’t date players.

And it’s not because I’m one of the few women working in the world of professional football.

I’d date an athlete.

It’s the other kind of player I don’t date.

You know the type. Good looking, strong, cocky, always looking to get laid.

Brody Easton was the ultimate player.

Every woman wanted to be the one to change him.

But the truth was, all he needed was a girl worth changing for.

Turned out, I was that girl.

Simple right?

Let’s face it. It never is.

There’s a story between once upon a time and happily ever after…

And this one is ours.

The Baller is available NOW on Amazon, iBooks, B&N and Kobo!

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Add The Baller to your TBR list on Goodreads

About the Author

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!

Additional Books by Vi Keeland

Life on Stage series (2 standalone books)

Beat

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Throb

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MMA Fighter series (3 standalone books)

Worth the Fight (MMA Fighter Series, Book One)

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Worth The Chance (MMA Fighter Series, Book Two)

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Worth Forgiving (MMA Fighter Series, Book Three)

Amazon US B & N iBooks Kobo

The Cole Series (2 book serial)

Belong to You (Cole Series, Book One)

Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes & Noble iBooks Kobo

Made for You (Cole Series, Book Two)

Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes & Noble iBooks Kobo

Standalone novels

Left Behind (A Young Adult Novel)

Amazon US Amazon UK

First Thing I See

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SALE & Excerpt – Irresistibly Yours by Lauren Layne

IRRESISTIBLY YOURS

Oxford #1

Lauren Layne

Released Oct 6th, 2015

Loveswept

Meet the men of Oxford magazine! In the first captivating spin-off of Lauren Layne’s Sex, Love & Stiletto series, a not-so-friendly battle of the sexes turns into a scorching office romance.

Hotshot sports editor Cole Sharpe has been freelancing for Oxford for years, so when he hears about a staff position opening up, he figures he’s got the inside track. Then his boss drops a bombshell: Cole has competition. Female competition, in the form of a fresh-faced tomboy who can hang with the dudes—and write circles around them, too. Cole usually likes his women flirty and curvy, but he takes a special interest in his skinny, sassy rival, if only to keep an eye on her. And soon, he can’t take his eyes off her.

Penelope Pope knows all too well that she comes off as just one of the guys. Since she’s learned that wanting more usually leads to disappointment, Penelope’s resigned to sitting on the sidelines when it comes to love. So why does Cole make her want to get back in the game? The man is as arrogant as he is handsome. He probably sees her as nothing more than a barrier to his dream job. But when an unexpected kiss turns into a night of irresistible passion, Penelope has to figure out whether they’re just fooling around—or starting something real.

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Excerpt

“First game?” he asked.

Brown eyes flicked to him, barely. “What?”

“First baseball game?”

That got her attention. For the first time, she seemed to really look at him. Her eyes drifted over him slowly, before returning to his, her tone just slightly annoyed. “No. Not my first game.”

“Ah,” he said, already mentally maneuvering into a backpedal. “Bad assumption of me. You were just so into the game . . .”

“So you figured I must be trying to figure out how it all worked?” she asked. “That I must be trying to understand why some of the field is green and some is brown, and whatever could those white squares on the dirt be, and why-oh-why are those men running toward the white squares, but only sometimes . . .”

“All right,” Cole said with a laugh. “I’m an ass. You know baseball.”

Her smile was quick and easy, and he was relieved to see that she wasn’t one of those snippy, hold-it-against-him-forever types. “I know baseball.”

Is that what’s in your notebook? Baseball stuff?

She took a huge bite of her hot dog, completely unabashed at her bulging cheeks, and Cole hid a smile, pretending instead to be fixated on the game.

Hell. When had he ever had to pretend to be fixated on the Yankees?

“You were partially right,” she admitted, after swallowing.

He glanced at her. “Oh yeah?”

She grinned. “This is my first Yankees game.”

“I knew it,” he said, matching her grin full on. “I knew there was something virgin about you. But tell me, how come a baseball fan like you never made it to Yankee Stadium until now?”

“Well . . .” She licked a spot of mustard off her finger, but not in the slow, deliberate way that most women he knew would have done it. “It’s a long way from Chicago . . .”

Cole tore his eyes away from the way her lips closed around her thumb, sucking off that mustard. “You’re from Chicago?”

“From there, yes,” she said. “But let’s just say that as of two weeks ago, I’ll be spending a lot more time here than at Wrigley.”

“Ah. You’re new to New York.”

“Quite.”

“How do you like it?”

She hesitated. “It’s . . . intense.”

“Meaning . . . we New Yorkers are scary as hell?”

She smiled. “Well, it’s not as hostile as I’d been warned, but yeah. We Chicagoans are a bit more openly friendly than you New Yorkers.”

“I’m friendly,” he countered.

Tiny Brunette laughed. “No. You’re just incredibly charming. And a smidgen good-looking.”

He gave her his best bedroom look. “Am I?”

She smiled. “You know you are.”

Their eyes held for a moment, and Cole was startled to realize it was the most relaxed—the most himself—he’d felt around a woman in . . . hell . . . he didn’t know.

Mostly he was used to throwing out a couple of witty lines, a few slow smiles, and watching women counter with moves of their own.

There were no moves with this woman. She merely was.

Cole realized he didn’t even know her name.

“So tell me, as a Chicago baseball fan, are you Team Cubs or Team White Sox, Ms. . . .”

“Pope,” she said. “Penelope Pope. And both.”

Cole’s subconscious acknowledged that Penelope Pope was somehow exactly what this woman’s name should be. Perky and alliterative. His consciousness, however, latched on to another fact. “Both?”

It was not a typical answer. Most people had one baseball team, even if you were from a city with two teams, as Penelope was.

She shrugged. “Baseball’s not about who wins. It’s not even about who’s playing. It’s about the game. The consistent flow of it, the smack of the ball against the glove when you’re lucky enough to be sitting along one of the baselines, instead of stuck up here in this stuffy box—”

He stared at her. The words so closely echoed his own thoughts from just moments before that he wanted to kiss her.

She might just be his dream woman.

“That explains the hot dog,” he said.

“What?”

He nodded his chin at the last bite of hot dog, ignored in her left hand. “The hot dog. You’re in a luxury suite in Yankee Stadium with a whole buffet of gourmet foods, and yet you went and fetched the most basic hot dog you could find.”

She grinned. “Guilty.”

Cole turned his body all the way toward her now. “Tell me, Penelope Pope, what brings a Cubs and White Sox fan all the way to New York where you’ll face a whole new dilemma of choosing between the Yankees and the Mets . . .”

Tiny Brunette never got to answer.

The shadow of someone coming up behind their seats caused them both to turn. It was Alex Cassidy, Oxford’s editor in chief, looking down at them with a half-amused, half-worried expression.

“Cassidy,” Cole said. He lifted an eyebrow and silently added, Nice of you to show up.

“Sorry I’m late,” Cassidy said, not really sounding sorry at all. “I got held up.”

Automatically, Cole’s eyes scanned the luxury suite until he found the pretty woman he knew was likely to be somewhere around here . . .

Yup, there she was.

Emma Sinclair, Cassidy’s long-ago runaway bride, with whom he’d recently reconciled, was surreptitiously wiping smudged lipstick from the corner of her mouth.

His eyes returned to his boss, this time looking closer . . .

“Third button, dude,” Cole said wearily.

The always polished Cassidy glanced down, and without so much as wincing, fixed the misaligned buttons of his shirt.

Cole should have known. A naked Emma Sinclair was the only thing that could throw Alex Cassidy off his rigid timetable.

But Emma and Cassidy’s sex life was where the predictable part of the evening ended, because Cole was absolutely not prepared for Cassidy to reach out a hand to Tiny Brunette, a polite smile on his usually impassive face.

“Alex Cassidy. I’m so sorry I’m late, Ms. Pope.”

Cole glanced between the two of them. They knew each other?

“Not a problem,” she said, turning an easy smile on Cassidy. It was the exact same friendly smile she’d given Cole, and it very much made Cole want to punch his friend in the mouth.

“It’s refreshing to see you two playing so nicely,” Cassidy said with a droll look at Cole.

He narrowed his eyes at his boss, not sure what he was missing, but certain that he was missing something.

Cassidy answered Cole’s silent question with his usual professional businessman smile. “Cole, this is Penelope Pope.”

“We’ve met,” Cole said slowly.

“Excellent. So then you know that Penelope is our late-stage applicant for the sports editor role at Oxford?”

Very slowly, Cole turned toward Tiny Brunette. Took in her friendly smile even as he took in the sorry-not-sorry glint in her eyes.

This was his competition. This was the person standing between Cole and the job he so desperately wanted.

“I suppose I should have been more thorough when I introduced myself,” she said sweetly. “Penelope Pope. Sports editor.”

Plus side? At least now Cole knew what was in her damn notebook.

The downside? Everything else.

About the Author

Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels.

Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to NYC to pursue a writing career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals.

Lauren currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll likely find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).

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Book Two in the Oxford Series

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