contemporary romance – Jennifer Dawson

Debauched

One night in a moment of sheer madness I confessed my secrets to him. All my life I’ve been pretending. Pretending to be the woman I thought I should be instead of the woman I really am. I’ve been faking it and I am good. No one has ever guessed. Except him. He just looked at me and knew.

Chad Fellows is not the man I want, but he’s fast becoming the man I need.

One night in a moment of sheer madness I held her in my arms and let her cry. I did the right thing, letting her walk away, no matter how much she calls to the part of me that wants to rescue her. We are nothing alike, and she’s a mess of complications in a life I’m trying to keep simple. But then I touched her and made her tremble and now I can’t turn away.

Ruby Stiles is not the woman I want, but she’s fast becoming the woman I need.

The Cottage on Pumpkin and Vine

Welcome to Moonbright, Maine…Where the scents of donuts and cider waft through the crisp night air…with just a hint of magic.

It’s time for the annual Halloween costume party at the cottage on Pumpkin and Vine, the perfect place to celebrate the pleasures of the season. Guests return to the picturesque B & B year after year to snuggle up in its cozy rooms, explore the quiet, tree-lined streets and enjoy all the spooky fun of the holiday. But local legend whispers that it’s also a place where wishes have a strange way of coming true.

For three unsuspecting revelers, it’s going to be an enchanted weekend of candy corn kisses and midnight black kittens, along with some real Halloween surprises—the kind that make your heart skip a beat—for many more celebrations to come…

She’s My Kind of Girl

In high school, they’d burned fast and hot. Now is their chance to find out if the sparks that linger will ignite a whole new flame.

The only thing Darcy Miller ever wanted more than gorgeous troublemaker Griffin Strong was to shake off the dust of small-town Revival, Illinois, and head to the big city—even if she had to leave him behind. Ten years later, Darcy is the ultimate New Yorker, writing a sex blog and living on designer cocktails and the pulse of urban life. That is, until she hears that Revival plans to seize her mother’s house right after the holidays, thanks to the new mayor—who is none other than Darcy’s ex…

Griffin couldn’t have asked for a more dangerous Christmas gift. Curvy, sassy Darcy is every bit as delectable as the wild child she was in high school—and just as determined to stir up problems. But Griffin learned long ago to straighten up and fly right in order to make changes in the town he loves. Keeping his reputation wholesome is a big part of that. If only Darcy didn’t make him want to take his place on the naughty list with her, right under the mistletoe…

Walk of Shame

The walk of shame.

Ah, yes, there’s nothing quite like shamelessly letting yourself be dragged off to a storage closet by a younger man to really put the cherry on top of your humiliation sundae. It’s been a long, slow trip to the bottom, but I’ve finally reached my limit. After spending the night with Christopher Fellows, and slinking out of his apartment in the wee hours of the morning, I have no choice but to take a serious look at myself. It’s time for a change. A real life overhaul, full of self-development, healthy living, and all that other stuff that’s supposed to be good for you. And what better way to find yourself than with a vow of celibacy and a trip to Belize? The way I figure it, if you’re going to get your act together, you might as well begin with a tropical jaunt to paradise to start your transformation off on the right foot.

What could possibly go wrong?

*Please note this novella has been previously released in the Feel the Heat Anthology.

Out of Her League

Look, I get it, I’m not asking for miracles. I might be a closeted hopeless romantic, but I’m also a realist. I don’t need fireworks. I’m not asking for magic. Of course, my date won’t be Prince Charming. All I’m asking for is a pleasant night out on the worst single day of the year. That’s not exactly shooting for the stars, now is it?

Apparently, it is.

Because not only am I stuck with the date from hell, but the fates don’t think I’ve suffered enough, so why not seat me next to my secret crush. Trauma surgeon, Xavier Knight, is the most gorgeous man alive, and completely out of my league. An unobtainable, impossible dream that makes my heart pound whenever he gets close. Fantastic. Now he’ll bear witness to my humiliation.

Ah, life, you really know how to kick a girl when she’s down.

Head Over Heels

Country and city, strapping and petite—these new neighbors have literally nothing in common. Are the fireworks crackling between them pure irritation—or something a whole lot hotter?

With her professional reputation in tatters—and her boss in jail—Sophie Kincaid has no choice but to move to small-town Revival, Illinois, until the dust settles, where her best friends have arranged a job and a house for her. For six months, she’s pretty sure she can handle anything—even her new landlord and neighbor, Ryder Moore. A magnetic 6’4” deputy sheriff, Ryder’s good looks and habit of flirting with intent to seduce are an infuriating distraction—and, to Sophie’s alarm, an undeniable temptation.

Ryder knows Sophie’s type—entitled city girl—and it’s not one of his favorites. Add in her snarky sass and her propensity for trouble and she’s not exactly his ideal tenant. But something about the curvy little blonde fires Ryder’s imagination, not to mention his desire. Soon enough their verbal sparring seems like a prelude to something much more physical—and far more pleasurable. Is love right around the corner—or just right next door?

Taken

Brandon Townsend III

Rich, beautiful and entitled, once upon a time he was king of the trust fund babies. He took anything and anyone he wanted, until one day, he walked away without explanation. Now, he’s an untouchable mystery, one I’m determined to crack. And I’m not talking about anything mundane like his bed. No, I want something far more valuable.

I want into his head.

Veronica Westwood has blown into my life creating chaos in her wake, and I don’t know quite what to do with her. Rich, beautiful and entitled, she represents everything I’ve sworn off in life, and her being unexpectedly clever doesn’t change that. Instincts warn me to stay away, and that’s just what I intend to do, no matter her attempts to wear me down. I’m good at saying no, or at least I was until I met her. I don’t understand it, but she’s like a weakness, and a man like me can’t have weakness.

I simply won’t allow it.

The Burn List

After spending my thirtieth birthday with my parents, and drowning my sorrows in a bottle of tequila and splash of margarita mix, I know something has to change. All I want is a little excitement, one chance to go wild before I settle back into my regularly scheduled life. Fueled by liquid courage, I set about giving myself the perfect gift, my bad-boy neighbor, firefighter Lukas Marlow.

Sure, I like an intoxicated girl looking to turn her fantasies into reality as much as the next man, but this is sweet little Abby Simmons and on the do-not-touch list. Since I’m a nice guy and refuse to take advantage of her, I offer a compromise to her unexpected offer. Sleep it off, and if she hasn’t changed her mind in the light of day, I’ll fulfill all her dirty desires. Seemed reasonable, I mean, she’s such a good girl it’s not like she’ll ever take me on it.

My plan is perfect... until right about the time she emails me her sexual to-do list.

**Please note: This book has been previously published under my original pen name, Julia Devlin. It has been edited and updated, but the general story has remained unchanged.**

Twist of Fate

I’m trapped in the Uber ride from hell with the most despicable man on the planet.

He might be something to look at, but he’s soaking wet, ornery and has an attitude I don’t appreciate. I’m willing to overlook the flaws to be civil and the bigger person, but he has the gall to suggest his interview for some boob job fellowship is more important than my court case. Some nerve, right? I can’t be rid him fast enough.

It’s twenty minutes of my life. I’m a public defender so I can certainly handle him. Twenty little minutes and I’ll never see him again as long as I live.

Yeah, right.

Apparently, fate hates me.

Crave

I vow. I crave. I give in.

I used to be a nice, normal girl. I had dreams. Good, happy dreams of a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a fairytale love that lasts forever. Nobody ever warned me that sometimes, the prince dies three weeks before the wedding.

Like any addict, I swear this time is the last….

Now, I go through my days, a shadow of my former self. I pretend I’m okay, and the people in my life pretend to believe me. But, sometimes, when I can no longer stand the craving, I roam an underground sex club looking for my next hit. It’s dirty and wrong, but I can’t stop, and my only line of defense between them and me, is the rules I’ve designed to keep me safe. The men always abide by my rules. Until I meet him.

And, like any addict, I’m wrong.

I don’t question the instincts that tell me to run. One look at him, standing there, power radiating off him in waves, tells me all I need to know. He will make me crave those happy dreams I’ve left behind. And that is not an option.