Books1987

Monday, July 27, 2026

Excerpt: The Offside Rule

✨EXCERPT: THE OFFSIDE RULE by @rc_stephens_author releasing July 29th!

#PreOrderHere

The day was turning to evening. I was warm, tired, and trying very hard not to track CC’s every movement. But I was failing terribly. It didn’t help that more guys from the team stopped by. The very single younger guys. Leo Karlsson, our left winger, and someone who was like a cousin to me leaned over and whispered, “I didn’t know Coach’s daughter was such a smoke show.”

Then I realized I needed the bathroom.

I headed over without thinking much of it, rubbing a towel over my hair as I walked. I opened the outer door and stepped inside. Cool air hit my damp skin. The space smelled faintly like chlorine, clean towels, and expensive soap. Somewhere deeper inside, water was running. I paused.

“Hello?” No answer.

The shower, maybe. Or a faucet. With this many kids running around, someone had probably left something on. I moved down the short hallway toward the bathroom, following the sound. Steam curled faintly near one of the half-open doors. I should have stopped. I should have knocked. I should have done literally anything except assume. But I was thinking about Isla needing dinner, and Cole’s interrogation, and my mother telling me I deserved more than good, and the fact that CC had walked back into my life looking like every bad decision I’d ever trained myself not to make. So, I pushed the door open. The world narrowed. CC stood in the shower. Naked. Completely, devastatingly naked.

For one suspended second, neither of us moved. Water streamed over her hair and down her body, turning the air between us hot and heavy. Her head was tipped back, one hand braced against the tile, her lips parted on a breath that didn’t sound like surprise. Her breathing was fast. Her green eyes heated. She was getting herself off. My hand froze on the door. Her eyes flew open. Her green eyes locked on mine. My heart slammed so hard against my ribs I couldn’t breathe.

“Hunter?” she gasped.

#hockeyromance #rcstephens #dallasblaze @theauthor.agency

Excerpt: Always Meant For You

✨EXCERPT: ALWAYS MEANT FOR YOU by @kristenvailbooks releasing July 30th!

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https://a.co/d/0fq8iQ6F

His eyes never leave me as he cuts a path through the dancers. I wait, heart thumping in anticipation. He doesn’t speak until his face is inches from mine.

“I forgot to give you something.” His deep voice resonates through the furthest recesses of my body, and he edges me back into the small space.

“What’s that?” My gaze drops to see what he might be holding but before I can look down, my face is in his hands and his lips are covering mine.

Soft and slow and powerful enough to silence every sound that pulses in the room, he kisses me like me he owns me. Like I’m his. And I kiss him back with the very same certainty. The expert, unhurried caress of his tongue and the gentle, possessive pressure of his fingers on my cheeks engulf my senses. Scent, taste and touch collide and criss cross brilliantly. This kiss. This is what people write songs about. He’s perfect. His kiss is perfect. And I can only surrender to the plush, all-consuming effect of his mouth.

Too soon, he’s pulling away, whispering apologies in my ear. “I’m sorry, beautiful, my time’s up.” His gaze holds tight to mine even as he backs away. “I’ll make it up to you.”

I don’t blink until he’s disappeared through the doorway once again.

You just did.

#kristenvail #footballromance @theauthor.agency

Excerpt: Bad Decisions & Back Roads

✨EXCERPT: BAD DECISIONS & BACK ROADS by @zoeforward releasing August 3rd!

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https://books2read.com/u/4A9pYk

“Yesterday…I wrecked you?” She gave me a look I remembered. Her green eyes flared. I was about to lose this fight in a way I’d never recover from.

She slowly unzipped her coveralls. My brain immediately abandoned ship. Not helped by the fact that traitorous memory chose this exact moment to replay yesterday’s rainstorm in vivid detail.

Meanwhile, in real time, she peeled the coveralls down and somehow stepped out of them while keeping her socks from touching the ground—a feat of female sorcery I could neither explain nor stop watching.

Underneath was a tight white shirt that clung in ways that should probably require a warning label, a permit, and possibly a pastor on standby.

My eyes briefly closed. Opened. She was still there.

Beside me, Cody made a small choking noise.

I cut him a glare.

He didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed.

Then—because she enjoyed cruelty—she lifted both arms and twisted her hair into a messy bun. Which did things. Terrible, magnificent things to her chest.

Her mouth curved like she knew exactly what she’d done. She pulled a scrub top out of the duffle and pulled it down over the tight shirt. Without a word, she packed the supplies into her duffel, casually picked up the dart rifle from the ground, and started walking up the hill like she hadn’t just detonated every functioning brain cell in a fifty-yard radius.

Then she tossed over her shoulder—

“I’m back, Timothy Hurst. End of story.” A few steps later she said, “You’re welcome…for dealing with your dangerous llama.”

#coverreveal #veterinaryromance #zoeforward @theauthor.agency

Book Tour: The Plus One Pact

Title: The Plus One Pact

Author: Suzy Langevin

Genre: Best Friends Brother; Slow Burn; Fake Dating/Dating Pact; Plus Sized Heroine; Mental Health Rep; He Falls First; Summer Romance; Wedding Theme

Release Date: July 21, 2026

When Alyssa gets an invite to her best friend/hopeless crush's wedding, she enlists the help of Jeff, her best friend's hot but highly anxious brother, to join a 'plus one pact' and get them both through wedding season in one piece. Their arrangement leads to an unexpected connection, and they'll both need to decide it they're ready to put aside their fears and take their relationship from pact partners to perfect match.

"The Plus One Pact is a warm, funny romance about letting go of old insecurities and taking a chance on something unexpected. Suzy Langevin writes characters you care about and a love story that feels genuine, hopeful, and quietly affirming." Arden Joy, author of the Much Ado About Love Series.

Suzy Langevin loves love, even though she forgot how to say it in Latin when she was a contestant on Jeopardy! And she channels that love into writing happy ever afters where people are loved because of, not in spite of, the things they see as their flaws. She is the winner of the 2024 RWA Golden Heart Award, and her short fiction has been featured in several anthologies and magazines. Suzy lives and writes in central Massachusetts, and does, in fact, run on Dunkin'. For information on available titles and upcoming releases, visit www.suzylangevin.com, and follow her on Instagram @suzylangevinwrites.

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Release: Sacked

SACKED

Aleatha Romig

Release Date: July 27

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

“Power, legacy, secrets, and emotional warfare… I ate it UP.” —Review

Second chance romance. Football dynasty. High-stakes betrayal.

My life, my career, my future—was built on the Hubbards’ legacy: honor, heritage, tradition.
Or so I believed.

Now it’s all falling apart.

The Coopers aren’t just a football team.
They’re power, secrets, and emotional warfare.

Under the bright lights of Crystal Light Stadium, the real game is finally clear.

This isn’t just about the Super Bowl—
It’s about protecting my family’s dynasty at any cost.

And this is when he walks back into my life.

The man from my past.
My biggest regret… and my greatest weakness.

He wants a second chance.
A place beside me in a game ruled by loyalty, lies, and betrayal.

But in this world, trust is a risk.
And desire is a liability.

Because what we share…
It’s explosive. Dangerous. Impossible to ignore.

And it might be the one thing that brings everything crashing down.

Because football isn’t just a game.

It’s power. It’s legacy. It’s survival.
And I’ll stop at nothing to keep it alive.

Have you been Aleatha’d?

From New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a steamy, addictive football romance packed with power plays, betrayal, and jaw-dropping twists.

SACKED is Book 3 in The Coopers series, ends on a cliffhanger, and must be read in order: INTERCEPTED → RUSHED → SACKED → SCORED.

Grab Your Copy!

https://mybook.to/ARSacked

Meet Aleatha Romig:

Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Together with her high-school sweetheart and husband of over thirty years, they've raised three children. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns or her new lighter side, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!

Keep up with Aleatha Romig and subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.aleatharomig.com/contact

To learn more about Aleatha Romig & her books, visit here!

Connect with Aleatha Romig:

https://www.aleatharomig.com/contact

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Cover Reveal: Make Me Wild

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚?

All eyes on this beauty—we’re revealing the cover for MAKE ME WILD (Lakeside Hammerheads #2) by Wren Hamilton! Get ready for Zane Wilder’s story!

Coming 19th November → geni.us/MakeMeWild

🩶🩵💙

Atlas Grant, fresh from a cross-country move, is trying to win back the heart of the man he was forced to leave behind 9 years ago.

Balancing his romantic interest and single parenting back near his home town means he’s in for a steep learning curve.

Second Chance | Single Dad | Hurt/Comfort | Found Family | Grumpy Sunshine

🩶🩵💙

Cover Designer: Silver @bittersagedesigns, Cover Art: @angki.s_

Connect with Wren ➤ IG & TikTok: wrenhamilton.writes | Web: wrenhamiltonwrites.com

#GayRomanceReviews #GRR #GRRTours #CoverReveal #WrenHamilton #MakeMeWild #HurtComfort #GrumpySunshine #SecondChances #FoundFamily #TBR #ComingSoon

Teaser: Only Angels Have Blue Eyes

Horror / Suspense

Date Published: 08-03-2026

Things are looking up for Maylin Cole and her 4-year-old daughter, Margo. Fleeing an abusive relationship, the private clinic Heaven’s Hope offers shelter and the promise of a new life. Led by the charismatic and beguiling Seraph Nakir, they learn a surprising truth: they’re actually angels who have lost their way.

Everyone has an angel name and is being prepared to ‘ascend’ when the time is right. Their angelic identities will play a significant role in aiding humanity when the world ends.

As the weeks pass, Maylin becomes accustomed to the peculiar confrontational therapy. The black curtains and bars on the windows no longer trouble her. The lack of privacy, mystifying theology, and strange rules become commonplace. She sees Margo less frequently since the children are kept in the basement.

The death of another patient awakens Maylin to dark secrets within the walls, and soon the horrifying truth about Nakir and Heaven’s Hope is revealed. Maylin must confront her insecurities, rediscover her individuality, and use her wits and resources if she hopes to save Margo and the other children.

Inspired by a true crime case, this slow-burn thriller roars to a pulse-pounding climax, reminding the reader to think independently, ask questions, and be careful who you trust.

Excerpt

Maylin stared at Nakir in disbelief. “I…I can’t do this.”

“Administer Uriel’s punishment. Now,” he replied.

Maylin looked at the man’s back as he knelt before the fireplace like a monk at an ancient altar. Then she looked back at Seraph Nakir. “No. N-no way…”

Nakir tilted his head, his dreadlocks falling to one side. He scowled at her. “The injury was against you,” he said. “So, it is only right that you be the one to dispense his punishment.”

She shook her head, eyes still wide, and thrust the poker toward Nakir.

He refused it. “You must, my daughter. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. His bruises for your bruises. Go ahead. Begin.”

“No, no—this isn’t right. It’s not—”

“Carry out the punishment!” Seraph Nakir bellowed, stepping forward to tower over her.

About the Author

J. Todd Kingrea is the author of "With A Blighted Touch" and The Deiparian Saga ("The Witchfinder," "The Crimson Fathers," and "Bane of the Witch"). He has also authored two non-fiction books, two short stories, and role-playing game scenarios. When not writing, he enjoys collecting and watching movies, reading, and prowling through dusty old bookstores. He and his wife live in Galax, Virginia.

You can find him online at www.jtoddkingrea.com, on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Stay in touch at jtoddkingrea@yahoo.com.

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