From internationally bestselling author K.A. Tucker, writing as Nina West, comes the dark and sexy Dirty Empire series
Mercy Wheeler and Gabriel Easton’s sordid tale continues in Dirty Empire as Mercy finds her loyalties tested and Gabriel’s attempt to break free of his family’s legacy comes with unexpected consequences.
Dirty Empire is the third book in the Dirty Empire series and should be read after Sweet Mercy and Gabriel Fallen.
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Nina West is the author of the sinfully sexy and highly addictive The Wolf Hotel series and Dirty Empire series. She lives in the city but spends her summers in the wilderness.
Blakely Foxx is about to turn the big 4-0 and Slade Henderson thinks she's hotter because of it.
Flirting with 40 by K. Bromberg is now live!
An all new flirty, lighthearted, standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author K. Bromberg guaranteed to make you swoon.
Blakely Foxx is having one of those years.
Her divorce may have been finalized a few months ago, but her ex is already engaged to someone half her age. Her younger boss is determined to sabotage her chance at getting the promotion she rightly deserves. And to make matters worse, she's closing in on the big 4-0. There isn't enough wine or ice cream in the world to convince her things will turn around.
When Blakely meets Slade Henderson, she's left wondering why an early-thirties, hotter than hell, cardiothoracic surgeon would take an interest in her.
She's been warned that he'll break her heart, but she's willing to take the chance. Not only is he helping her get that promotion, but in the process, he's encouraging her to find the parts of herself she's lost over the past few years.
Slade shows her that good guys really do exist, but who knew the hardest part about turning forty would be realizing the man you thought was a rebound, is actually your happily ever after?
My Review (ARC provided)
4.5 stars!
This book was such a fun, sweet, sexy read! We need more of the younger man and older woman, it was refreshing and a nice change of pace. While I’m not a huge fan of big age gaps, whether it’s male or female being older, this wasn’t a big deal at all, (not even ten years). I loved that Blakely was trying to find her old self again and that Slade was the one to help her. Blakely was recently divorced and feeling like she needed to dig to find herself again. After a run-in at a bar Slade is the perfect person to do just that. I loved the underwear analogy that kept popping up through the book it made me laugh and I really could relate to it.
“I can be lacy boy panties.”
“Lacy boy shorts, Blakely. You are not granny panties. You are lacy boy shorts.”
Although Slade was the life of the party and so likable he was a bit of an old soul too which really worked with Blakely.
Blakely needs to prove to her boss and coworkers she is still young and fresh and would be the best fit for the VP position, but she doesn’t know how to do that until Slade comes up with a plan that will help him and her. I found myself smiling throughout this book and as soon as I put it down I’d want to pick it back up. The two had a great connection and chemistry but not only that you could see the friendship and respect they had for each other. Sometimes you just need a lighthearted witty book to get you out of your headspace and that’s exactly what I needed and got with this book. With every book, Kristy writes she proves she can write light, funny, dark, and angsty all while keeping me enthralled.
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“The way I look at it, you owe me one.” His voice is just loud enough for me to hear over the din of the restaurant.
“I owe it to you?” I sputter.
“Mm-hm.” He nods resolutely as he puts more space between us, and my lungs find a way to breathe. “You ran out the other night without giving me a chance. I could be the best thing that ever happened to you—platonic or otherwise—and you might have missed that opportunity if we hadn’t run into each other on the street this afternoon.”
Or otherwise?
He’s talking nonsense but is doing it so convincingly that I try to talk myself out of what he’s successfully talking me in to. “I don’t—”
“Does my age unnerve you?” he asks.
“Your age doesn’t matter.”
“Exactly.” He smirks. “So, why are you making it matter?”
I walked right into that one.
“We’re at different phases of our lives. You’re in your residency. I’m a divorcée with baggage—”
“Everyone has baggage. It just looks different from person to person.” He leans back in his chair. “What are you afraid of? Getting to know someone new? Taking a chance? Stepping outside of the box for once? Finding yourself again?”
His words root deep into me and take hold. “I appreciate you trying . . . but we’ll never pull it off.”
“Yes, we could.”
“No one would ever believe it.”
“Quit letting them—whoever they are—put you in a mold, Blakely. Make your own damn mold. You might surprise yourself in the process.” His dimples deepen, and his eyes are as unwavering as his resolve.
“How do I know you aren’t some Ted Bundy in waiting?”
His laugh is throaty and rich and draws the stares of those around us. “I’m in the business of saving lives, not taking them.” He takes a sip of his beer. “Next excuse?”
“I’m . . .” I’m at a loss, and a small thrill of adrenaline shoots through me. This isn’t something I’d ever do, and yet, the idea of it is invigorating, almost freeing. I chew the inside of my cheek as I contemplate agreeing to Slade’s crazy scheme.
“What do you say?”
Say yes.
“It isn’t a crime for a younger man to think an older woman is attractive.”
I bite my bottom lip as the smile creeps around it.
He is drop-dead handsome.
“We go as friends. I help you out. No strings attached.”
The answer is yes.
“When’s the last time you threw caution to the wind? When’s the last time you did something unexpected no matter how small?” he asks.
It’s always yes.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” I mutter.
“Saying what?”
“Fine. Yes. Okay.”
Meet Kristy
New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate but can't help to love.
A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow and her mind scattered in too many different directions.
Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over one and a half million copies of her books across eighteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by the streaming platform, Passionflix, with the first movie (Driven) out now.
With her imagination always in overdrive, she is currently scheming, plotting, and swooning over her latest hero. You can find out more about him or chat with Kristy on any of her social media accounts. The easiest way to stay up to date on new releases and upcoming novels is to sign up for her newsletter (http://bit.ly/254MWtI) or follow her on Bookbub (http://smarturl.it/KBrombergBB)
Oh, Meghan how you get me with every single story! Meghan is the master of a slow burn and creating such good relationships. She sets this foundation down with her stories that you can’t help but fall in love with her hero and heroine’s, you get to know them, root for them, get mad at them, and want to be friends with them. Indie and Lincoln were no different, the friendship they formed I envied, the chemistry they had was intense but I loved how they kept the facade up of friendship. Don’t get me wrong they were the best of friends each others person but deep down they were so much more and they couldn’t admit it.
I loved what a strong female character Indie was, I loved how she dished it out as well as the boys did and her competitiveness with everyone. And as much as I loved her I wanted to smack her, shake her and tell her to wake up a few times.
Lincoln and Indie grabbed me from the beginning, I smiled and laughed along with them. Lincoln didn’t have an inferiority complex when Indie beat him when he realized she could train him to be better, he loved her for her fierceness and loved the banter with her. They clicked and it worked from the get-go.
Another thing we got a lot of in this book was their friends and all the side relationships going on, it added to the book and made it more realistic. I would love to get some other stories about these characters (rubs hands together).
I have so much more I can say about this book but you must read to get the full effect. Meghan has you squirming until the very last minute, but the ending does not disappoint!
I’ve fallen victim to a heinous act.
An act so vile, so downright dirty, that I’m not sure as a twenty-year-old man I'll ever recover. Brace yourself, because what I’m about to tell you might have you gasping in secondhand horror.
Ready? Here it goes . . .
I’ve recently become the pawn of a meddling mom.
Yes . . . A MEDDLING MOM--who's been trying to set me up all summer.
Now, I understand it’s not a crime for a mother to want her child to fall in love, but when she makes it her relentless MISSION, the heinous act should be classified as a misdemeanor at least.
Of course, my mom, the evil matriarch in the devil’s leggings, made her final stab at finding a girl for me days before I went back to college.
And I hate to admit it, but she saved a doozy for last.
A titan in black skinny jeans.
A boss of nonchalance.
And a girl who would not only turn my life upside down, but do it while juggling a soccer ball, looking effortlessly gorgeous around campus, and is one hundred percent against relationships. Of any sort.
Thanks, Mom.
PROLOGUE:
**LINCOLN**
I’ve fallen victim to a heinous act.
An act so vile, so downright dirty, that I’m not sure . . .
as a son,
as a member of society,
as a twenty-year-old man . . . I will ever recover.
Ever.
I see the concern in your eyes, your hand wandering up your chest to clutch the collar of your sensible cotton shirt, scared to find out the truth.
Brace yourself against something sturdy, because what I’m about to tell you might just knock you back on your ass in horror.
*Deep breaths, everyone*
I’ve recently become the pawn of a meddling mom.
Yup, you read that right. A MEDDLING mom.
The bane of a son’s existence.
I know what you’re wondering . . . what did she do? Make me pick up my socks during summer break?
*Eye-rolling*
*Woe is you*
*Grow up*
You grow up!
Ehhh, that was a little harsh. But before you go and put your judgy face on, you need to know the difference between a nagging mom and a meddling mom.
A nagging mom is one who storms into the living room while you’re trying to watch the series finale of Game of Thrones, complaining about the dishes in the sink you swore you’d take care of once you found out who took the throne.
Nag, nag, nag—part of the daily routine of the person who birthed you, or in this case, one of two moms who adopted me.
But a meddling mom, oh boy. They’re a fresh kind of hell wrapped up in high-waisted leggings and muted tunics. This isn’t some everyday mom who texts you GIFs of squirrels playing with a hula hoop. Nope, meddling moms have an agenda.
An agenda that they believe benefits their children. But it really benefits them . . . and only them.
In this case, my mom’s agenda: get Lincoln to fall in love.
I understand it’s not a crime for a mother to want her child to fall in love, but let me tell you. When she makes it her mission when you’re home from college, it should be classified as a misdemeanor.
That’s right, all freaking summer, my mom has made it her duty to set me up with girl after girl, all of whom she’s met in our hometown Kalamazoo, Michigan. I’d like to say I’m exaggerating that she made a list and set me up with every eligible girl—one by one—but I’m not.
I saw the Excel spreadsheet on her computer.
Girls who were highlighted in red were a no-go.
Girls in green still had a fighting chance.
Girls in yellow? Apparently, I had lukewarm interaction with them, but they showed promise.
Why is she so desperate for me to fall head over heels?
Can you believe she’s been spending time on the Internet, researching relationship statuses of major league baseball players? Well, she has. Too much time. And she said she didn’t want me to end up forty, about to retire, with nothing to say for my life other than that I was able to throw a ball off a mound.
She also wants a girl to fawn over.
When my mothers were adopting, Mom hoped for a girl, but Mama hoped for a boy. Don’t get me wrong, my mom loves me more than anything—hence the meddling and nagging—but she always wanted to do girly things with me, like have tea parties, get our toenails done, shit like that.
Side note: I’ve done the pedicure thing with her, and it’s not that bad.
But she wants a daughter, and apparently, a daughter-in-law is the next best thing.
Which brings me back to my summer of “not love.” I wanted nothing to do with these girls and after my mom’s eighth attempt to set me up—yes, eight—I told her enough was enough. I was done.
And thankfully she listened . . . until the last Saturday before I left for school.
The evil matriarch in the devil’s leggings made her final stab at finding a girl for me.
And I hate to admit it, but she saved a doozy for last.
A fucking titan in black skinny jeans.
A boss of nonchalance.
And a girl who will not only turn my life upside down, but do it while juggling a soccer ball, looking effortlessly gorgeous, and is one hundred percent against relationships. Of any sort. Thanks, Mom.
*Thumbs up*
Your meddling has made me absolutely miserable.
About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.
