Cover Reveal: Handle with Care by Hayden Stone
Handle with Care
Hayden Stone
Publication date: October 14th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
Two rival interns. One art museum. And a missing art museum exhibit.
Dylan Alexander doesn’t need a boyfriend. Having one will only slow him down.
Freshly graduated from university, Dylan’s arrived in London, England from Vancouver, Canada for a summer internship at the London Art & Design Museum. He’s also looking for strings-free fun and a fresh dating scene. This is Dylan’s dream chance to start his career and land a permanent job in London—or else he must return to Vancouver where museum jobs are rare, and the dating pool is old news. Everything’s going great in his new life—except for one thing. Dylan must put up with rival museum intern William Martin-Greene.
Will is everything Dylan can’t stand: flashy, arrogant, and entitled. Forget that he’s too handsome for his own good and knows it. It’s bad luck that they both started on the same internship program. At least they work safely apart in different departments—until one day, they’re forced to work together when Will unexpectedly joins Dylan’s Curatorial team. So much for the avoidance strategy that had worked so far. Will’s arrival on his team is also not helping his unmistakable attraction. When Dylan and Will end up stranded together while collecting exhibits, with only one bed to share, they can’t deny their chemistry.
With only one permanent job on offer at the end of the summer, the competition is on to be the best intern. They both share the blame when an important design exhibit goes missing and risks the unexpected summer romance between them. Then, everything is on the line—including hearts, careers, and a chance at love.
A rivals-to-lovers, opposites attract, only one bed, and boy-next-door romance!
Author Bio:
More animal than mineral, Hayden Stone is a writer of fun queer fiction, especially with kissing. He currently lives in Victoria, Canada, and has previously lived in Vancouver, Canada and London, UK. He likes strong coffee and is owned by two cats. You can find out his latest news on Twitter or Instagram, or at his website: haydenstonebooks.com
—
Ashes and Echoes by Jo-Anne Van Gelder blitz with giveaway
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**
Ashes and Echoes
Jo-Anne Van Gelder
Publication date: August 22nd 2025
Genres: Adult, Psychological Thriller
A missing friend. A locked estate. A note that says, I know what you did.
Three friends. One is missing. The truth won’t stay buried.
Mara hasn’t seen Elise in years—until a handwritten invitation pulls her back to the crumbling estate they swore they’d never return to.
But Elise isn’t there.
Her handbag is.
So is the daisy.
And a note that reads: I know what you did.
Now Mara and Jodie—the third in their fractured trio—are trapped. No cars. No signal. Nowhere to run.
The house is full of locked doors and old ghosts.
Every secret points back to that night.
Elise’s absence is only the beginning.
Some friendships end in silence.
Some secrets refuse to stay dead.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
—
PROLOGUE:
There were three rules.
One: Don’t ask questions.
Two: Don’t keep records.
Three: If something goes wrong, disappear.
Elise memorised them before she knew what they meant.
Before she understood what kind of house she lived in.
What kind of programme she had been born into.
What kind of silence the adults needed in order to survive.
They were never written down. Just repeated in whispers.
Embedded in routine. Hidden in the space between a closed
door and a too-long pause.
The files were kept in a box under Ian’s bed. Locked, of
course—but not well. She picked the clasp with a bobby pin
when she was twelve and didn’t breathe again until she was
fourteen.
Inside: incident reports, training forms, assessment notes.
Faces she didn’t know. Names she couldn’t place. Her own
wasn’t among them. That unsettled her more than if it had
been.
She never told Grace.
She told no one.
But she remembered.
Not everything. Just enough.
Just the names that seemed misfiled.
The dates that didn’t line up.
The symbols that kept reappearing—on files, in margins, on
lanyards and notebooks.
And once, scratched into the underside of a metal desk in the
old admin wing: a daisy. Faint, but deliberate.
She started drawing them, too.
On the inside of her sleeve. In the dust on her windowsill.
With steam on the bathroom mirror.
By the time she turned fifteen, she no longer trusted the
silence around her. She didn’t fear it, either. But she recognised
it for what it was—a tool.
On the night of her birthday, she wrote a single line inside
the fabric lining of her mattress, using the ink from a leaking
pen:
If something happens to me, it wasn’t random. And it wasn’t
right.
She drew a daisy beside it.
And smiled, like any other girl.
Author Bio:
Jo-Anne van Gelder is the pen name of a Dutch novelist based in the Netherlands. Ashes and Echoes is Jo’s debut psychological thriller—a dark, emotionally layered novel about memory, guilt, and buried truths.
Jo lives with her partner, who is also an author, and their cat. She spends most days surrounded by books, coffee, and the quiet thrill of untold stories.
GIVEAWAY!
—
Stalled Descent by Kel O’Connor blitz with giveaway
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**
Stalled Descent
Kel O’Connor
(DAG Team Series, #4)
Publication date: August 25th 2025
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense, Thriller
A man forced to work for the enemy and a woman on the run from her past…
For years, ace pilot Archie McKinley has been living a double life. Now that his role as a mole within DAG has been exposed, he has one chance to make things right: take down Elliot Essa, the man who’s held him captive with threats and manipulation for over a decade.
To infiltrate the impenetrable Red Winter compound, Archie needs help from the team he deceived and the one person who truly knows him—Meret Shahid, his childhood partner-in-crime turned photographer. The girl who once earned the nickname “the Imp” in their small Iranian village might be his only shot at redemption. But Meret has her own demons from Red Winter, and returning to the organization she barely escaped could cost her everything.
As Archie grapples with guilt over his betrayal and his growing feelings for Meret, they must navigate new threats, uneasy alliances, and shocking revelations. The mission is clear: destroy Red Winter’s empire and free the innocent families trapped within it.
But the price of redemption may be higher than either of them is willing to pay.
This book is a full-length romance with a happy ending. It is part of a 4-book interconnected series where each book features a different couple.
This is a steamy romance for readers 18+
—
EXCERPT:
The knock on her door had her glancing at the clock. Archie likely wanted her dinner order, even though it was a bit early. She opened the door before she considered her outfit. She’d changed into a tank top and loose shorts after lunch. For comfort. Which, of course, included ditching her bra.
Too late to turn back. She opened the door halfway and hid behind it as much as possible. Surprisingly, Archie walked a few steps into the room instead of remaining outside. When he turned to her, all the moisture in her mouth dried up.
Meret bit the inside of her cheek rather than moan out loud. Gray sweatpants hung so low on his hips, she saw the white elastic band of his underwear. A light dusting of dark hair curled across the top of his chest. There was none on his perfect abs and only a thin trail that began under his navel. The bruises from his recent fight were fading to a greenish yellow along the left side of his torso.
There were scars on his tanned skin, including a long strip across his shoulder, possibly from a knife. On his right bicep, there was a corner of a tattoo showing, but she couldn’t make out the design from this angle. Of course, he was still an agent, maintaining the top-shelf physical fitness that was required. Damn, he was beautiful.
Archie bit his lip, chagrin obvious on his face. He took a deep breath, shook his shoulders, and all the awkwardness fell away, replaced by steely determination. Meret swayed, mesmerized at the transformation. He held her gaze and this time, his voice was strong.
“What happened between us on the boat was good. But we can do much better.”
Shock held her muted. This was not what she’d expected, but oh, was it what she wanted. Her fingers flexed as electricity shot through her in anticipation. She tightened her mouth, loathe to say the wrong thing. Best to let him do the talking.
He continued, “I’m aware my experience and skills are lacking, but I’ve been studying.”
Her mouth fell open, and she managed a single word, “Studying?”
His slow grin was equally charming and sexual, even showing a hint of teeth. Her lungs shrank at least four sizes as she tried to breathe. What was happening? She was 90% sure she wasn’t dreaming. He was not only discussing her and sex, he had smiled.
His voice lowered, and she felt the vibration between her legs. “Yeah. Reading the sexy parts of romance books. I assumed it was better than watching porn made for men.”
Oh, dear God in heaven. Which books? Steamy, spicy, kinky? Okay, she’d gladly take any of the above, even if kinky was not her preference. Her nipples hardened until it was almost painful.
They both chuckled a bit, and he added, “Plus, there are actually helpful instructional websites. I only need someone to test my knowledge on.” His expression morphed to sincere. “Meret, you are the only person I want to touch me.”
Tears stung the back of her eyelids at his confession. What courage it took for him to lay it all out for her. She was honored, but mostly, she was aroused. His fiery gaze roamed all over her body, clad only in the thin tank top and short shorts. His growing erection became obvious under the loose sweats. She stood rooted to the spot in shock, so he moved closer.
He looked feral, reckless, slowly stalking towards her like a predator.
Why did she think he was reckless? Agents were never reckless. They always had a plan. And two backup plans, plus an “oh shit, everything has gone to hell” plan.
What was her plan? Meet him halfway, yank his head down for a kiss? Hold up a hand to stop him? Plot an escape? Oh, hell no.
Suddenly, she didn’t want a plan. It was time to live in the moment. He wouldn’t harm her as long as she held her heart back. Sparks sizzled along her skin, put there by the singular focus in his eyes. For this moment, she would join him in recklessness. Her anxiety broke free, and she waited for him to reach her.
Author Bio:
Winner of the Pencraft Award and The Chill Award and a finalist for The Book Buyers Best Award, The Maggie Award for Excellence and The Carolyn Reader’s Choice Award, Kel lives with her family in the mountains of North Carolina. In addition to reading and writing, she loves coffee, loud rock music, subversive humor and the smell of old books. You can find her online on Instagram, Facebook and at keloconnor.com.
3 Random Facts about Kel:
* She will buy almost anything if it is a hot pink color
* She watches any and every show/movie about crime-fighting, spies, detective work or secret agents
* She and her husband once owned a humor store
GIVEAWAY!
—
Murder, Mystery and Misdirection by Pamela McCord blitz with giveaway
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**
Murder, Mystery and Misdirection
Pamela McCord
(An Erin Baily in Franklin Paranormal Mystery, #3)
Publication date: August 21st 2025
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Hold onto your coffee and get ready to dive into the charmingly quirky world of Franklin, Tennessee. Erin Bailey never expected her new Southern estate to come with a talking cat named Peekaboo and a parade of ghostly visitors, giving her life a supernatural twist beyond even her wildest imaginings.
In “Murder, Mystery and Misdirection,” Erin becomes embroiled in yet another haunting mystery when her neighbor, Derek, vanishes under suspicious circumstances. As she delves into the secrets surrounding Derek’s disappearance, Erin must navigate the demands of an irate spirit who wishes she’d mind her own business, and the wife he left behind who would prefer that Erin not meddle in her personal life. Despite her initial distaste for Derek, an admittedly abusive husband, Erin is determined to help his pesky ghost cross over—all with her signature wit and relatable charm.
With the assistance of her best friend Susie, a podcast-loving sidekick, Detective Ryan Cahill, the handsome detective who has captured Erin’s heart, and DC, a private investigator and Susie’s boyfriend, Erin faces breathtaking revelations and dangerous discoveries. Add in an unexpected visit from Susie’s all-knowing Italian mother, bringing her own mix of culinary talents and psychic insight, and Erin’s world becomes as dizzyingly delightful as it is unpredictable.
Immerse yourself in a tale where cozy meets paranormal, filled with laughter and suspense. When your closest advisor is a snarky orange cat and your sleuthing targets the world of the dead, nothing is off-limits.
Perfect for fans of mystery interwoven with humor, “Murder, Mystery and Misdirection” promises a journey that’s both heartwarming and hilariously unpredictable—because unraveling a murder mystery is just another day in the life when your companions are as spectral and sassy as the enigmatic Peekaboo.
Join Erin as she dances through danger, one ghostly encounter at a time!
—
EXCERPT:
“Peekaboo!”
I burst through the front door, Ryan in my wake. I stopped in the hallway and looked for any sign of the orange cat who was currently on my sugar (I don’t like to swear) list. It only took a moment before the little creature stepped primly into the hall.
“I was napping,” the grumpy feline said, shooting me a gold-eyed glare. She waited for me to continue.
“I acknowledged them,” I said, deadpan. Just what my cat warned me not to do.
“Oh.” Peekaboo’s snooty manner fell away, and she lowered those gold eyes.
“That’s all you have to say?” I stood, arms crossed, my eyes shooting daggers. Ryan, my boyfriend, stood mutely watching. He couldn’t hear Peekaboo.
But I could. Oh, boy, could I. My sweet little inherited orange cat bestowed on me, by way of tripping me on my way down the front porch steps, the “gift” of being able to communicate with her. Oh, and see ghosts. To be fair, her motives were pure. She needed me to have a near-death experience so I’d wake up and be able to listen to her.
Maybe I should back up, so you know what I’m talking about.
I used to live in Los Angeles. When I was twenty-one, I broke up a mugging and saved a dear little old lady. She was so grateful that seven years later she left me her estate in her will.
In addition to a house, an SUV and a large amount of money, I inherited Peekaboo, the talking cat. Of course, I didn’t know she was a talking cat at the time. After glaring at me for a few days, she apparently thought I was hopeless and pushed me down the stairs. So, I woke up in the hospital and saw a doctor with a clipboard walk through a wall. But that’s really immaterial to my story. My neighbor, who found me splayed out on the porch steps, called 911. When I was released from the hospital, Elsie, the neighbor, told me I’d flatlined and it took ten minutes of the paddles to bring me back to life.
As I hobbled into my house after Elsie brought me home from the hospital and made sure I was all right to be left alone, subject cat started talking to me. I thought I must have a brain tumor…somebody get me back to the hospital! I grabbed the fireplace poker and used it to keep her at bay. I think she may have rolled her eyes at me.
Then, before I was comfortable that she was talking…and I could understand her…she trotted out the ghost of Alice, the sweet little old lady who’d left me her house. Apparently, this whole episode was so I could see Alice and solve her murder.
Author Bio:
A Mom’s Choice Awards® Recipient, Pam started writing later in life when an author friend challenged her to create a book from his story idea. Being a never-say-never person, she met the challenge and managed to finish an entire novel, much to her surprise. Since that beginning, she’s written several books, in several genres. Romance, middle grade and paranormal comprise most of her work. Her first published book, The Haunting of Elmwood Manor, A Pekin Dewlap Mystery, is a Mom’s Choice Award Winner! Several of her books have also earned that award. Pam lives in Tennessee, where she shares a home with her My Cat From Hell TV star, Allie, who manages to exude just enough affection to make her scary feral ways tolerable.
GIVEAWAY!
Murder, Mystery and Misdirection Blitz
—
Offside and Off-Limits by Kate O’Keeffe blitz with giveaway
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**
Offside and Off-Limits
Kate O’Keeffe
(Love in Maple Falls)
Publication date: August 20th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Sports
I survived chronic illness and a cheating ex. Surely I can resist one charming hockey player…right?
Clara
Working as the social media manager for a pro hockey team is all fun and games—until you trip into the arms of their biggest flirt during a livestream. Now the fans are shipping us, my boss is thrilled with the engagement, and I’m stuck dodging feelings for Cade Lennox, aka the certified charmer. The problem? My contract says he’s off-limits. My heart, unfortunately, didn’t get the memo.
Cade
I came to this small town to turn over a new leaf. But you know what they say about the best laid plans. All bets are off the second Clara Johnson literally stumbles into my arms and straight into my heart. She’s focused, loyal, and the most beautiful challenge I’ve ever met. All I have to do is prove I’m worth the risk.
Offside and Off-Limits is part of the Love in Maple Falls sweet hockey romcom multi-author series. It’s a forbidden love story between one flirty hockey player and the team’s social media manager in this small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.
Welcome back to Maple Falls—the small town where hockey players fall in love! This is a multi-author series of seven full-length books that could be read as standalones, but we think you’ll enjoy them best in order.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble
—
EXCERPT:
Clara falls into Cade’s arms on the ice
“Oh, man, this is awesome!” Joel declares, holding my phone in his hands. “You guys look sick! Even you, Clara.”
I let out a surprised laugh at Joel’s comment when Asher calls, “And now turn!” and as I do my legs fly from underneath me, and my breath wooshes out as I scrunch my eyes shut, bracing for the impact of cold, hard ice against my poor, under-protected butt.
But the ice-cold contact fails to happen, and when my eyes spring open I see Cade, his eyes wide with alarm as large, strong arms pull me against his firm body.
He grins down at me as my heart beats out of my chest.
I tell myself it’s because I almost fell, but being in Cade’s arms feels…well, it feels pretty dang amazing.
Not that I’m going to tell him that.
“Thanks,” I mumble, the heat rising in my cheeks as I gaze up at him, at total odds with the cold of the arena.
“My pleasure,” he replies, and the way he says those two words sends a flash of something hot through me that I’ve got to work hard at resisting.
But resist it I must, no matter how good this feels.
I haven’t been held by a man since Dwayne left me for my friend. And that was years ago.
I heave out a breath as I drag my gaze from his. I need to remember that this guy is a total player, and I don’t mean just on the ice. He probably catches falling women in his big, strong arms every day of the week—and I bet most of them don’t even bother to resist the heat this feeling elicits.
But I’m not one of those women, and I refuse to act on my physical attraction for this man. There are so many reasons, the non-fraternization clause in my employment contract being right at the top of that list.
Throwing away my new job because I’m attracted to one of the players? Not going to happen.
“You guys, I’m getting so many likes on this!” Joel calls out.
Wait. Likes?
I snap my attention to Joel, who’s still holding up my phone, pointing it straight at Cade and me. “Cade, would you mind putting me down? Like now.”
“I’ll do you one better,” he replies as he glides me smoothly back toward the bench, still holding me close in his arms. Holding me in one arm, he pulls open the door, and returns me to my feet—which I note are now trembling.
Author Bio:
Kate O’Keeffe is a USA Today bestselling author known for her fun, feel-good romantic comedies brimming with humor, heart, and happily ever afters. A native of New Zealand, Kate has crafted numerous popular series, garnering a devoted international readership.
With a flair for witty banter and irresistible heroines navigating the ups and downs of modern dating, Kate’s novels showcase strong friendships, comedic entanglements, and the of course sometimes bumpy but always hopeful road to love.
When she’s not writing, Kate can often be found reading romcoms, binging her favourite shows, or spending time with her friends and family in the beautiful Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand.
GIVEAWAY!
—
Carries Book Reviews 
Recent Comments