Non-Fiction Book Recommendations

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Do you like reading about other people's lives and experiences? Check out these non-fiction books by self-published/small press authors!

Gut Feelings: Coping With Cancer and Living With Lynch Syndrome

"Lynch syndrome is a genetic condition that makes it more likely for a person to get cancer. In other words, it’s the world’s worst loyalty programme." Colon cancer, uterine cancer, duodenal cancer. Colostomy bags, infertility, genetic testing. But also, joy. Also adventure. Also grit. GUT FEELINGS spans ten years from the author's first cancer diagnosis to the life-changing surgeries for her second and third. Racking up a collection of medical experiences - and losing countless organs along the way - Sam Rose has stories for anyone facing the uncertainty of cancer or Lynch syndrome, to help patients and survivors feel less alone.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Learning Empathy: The Memoirs of An Autistic Savant

The first part of being smart is knowing you're not.

Most people assume that I'm slow. Some people are shocked that I'm smart enough to talk. I was emotionally delayed by 15 years. That diagnosis was based on a lack of empathy. For some reason I stopped maturing at 7. Luckily, I started again around 22 years old. Now that I'm 50, I have the mental age of a 35-year-old. It's no big deal now. But when I was 20, I had the mental age of a 7-year-old. It was a problem then.

In my book, Learning Empathy: The Memoirs of an Autistic Savant, these are my stories of how I learned empathy despite a life of institutional abuse. They say that Hard Lives Build Great Hearts and I am evidence that that is true.

Click the link to purchase your copy of my book Learning Empathy:

The Memoirs of an Autistic Savant. All profits from this book go to a 12-step group founded in Illinois. The purpose of this 12-step group is to help people recover after being in a psychiatric hospital or other traumatic situation. By purchasing my book, you not only learn about what I went through, but can be a part in helping others like me.

The Truth About Change and Awakening: A Memoir

With wisdom and humor, Rachael DK invites us into her world as a writer and survivor, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, fear and courage, hope and change. The emotional and physical pains she journaled throughout her life are ultimately revealed to the reader. Her memoir offers a deeply personal yet universal tour of our hearts and minds and providing the rarest of gifts: a boldly revealing portrait of what it means to be human. So many of the author's struggles as a two time suicide attempt survivor, breast cancer survivor, chronic illness sufferer—though rare when combined, are a reflection that helps readers see things in a new light, and rediscover simple pleasures and everyday joy. It is the story of how any of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honor our heartbreak, and unleash our truest dreams so that we finally look at ourselves and say: There I am, the real me.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Sad, Black, and Fat: Musings From The Intersection

This book delves into the experiences of a young woman trying to navigate life’s twists and turns. She often finds herself standing on the corner between one identity and the other trying to decide which road to take. This collection of poems and essays are a reflection of the joys and sorrows of traversing through the intersections of life.

Contemporary Romance Book Recommendations

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Do you like reading contemporary romance books? Check out these romance books by self-published/small press authors!

Highland Fling

For fans of Outlander, Sophie Kinsella and Jenny Colgan.

Carla Kingston has no time for love. Not when her job involves faking romances for roleplaying packaged holiday company, Highland Fling.

Jack Jefferson has come to the Scottish highlands to escape the rat race in London, and take stock of his life. He's in a job he hates and is in need of a career change.

When Carla and Jack meet, sparks - and clothes - soon start to fly. A one night stand is enough for the both of them.

But after Jack begins working alongside Carla as a Highland Heartthrob, they can't ignore one another, nor the spark that's threatening to become an inferno.

Someone has a secret to keep. Except things don't stay hidden forever...

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

Douglas and Alice are convinced their spouses are cheating...with each other.

Teaming up, they take their entirely inept investigation on the road. Following their spouses across the UK, the spurned twosome take one epic road trip that turns out nothing like they expected. Their detective work makes them a team, the fun and adventure makes them into something more.
 

0.99 on Kindle

Defying Destiny

Cameron Burk has just broken up with his long-time girlfriend. But, determined not to miss out on the biggest event of the year, he flies solo to the senior prom. Rhyanna Paramore is onstage providing the entertainment along with her up-and-coming rock band, Defying Destiny. Cameron spends the evening entranced by Rhyanna's talent and beauty. When they crash into each other after the dance, sparks fly. Though they come from two different worlds, their friendship quickly blossoms into romance.

After graduation, Cameron is off to law school while Rhyanna and her band hit the road, bound for stardom. The years bring them success, though distance and stress take a toll on them both. When the pressure of her nightly performances threatens Rhyanna's health, a dark secret comes to light.

With their love tested, Cameron and Rhyanna must decide if their relationship is real and worth fighting for. Only by Defying Destiny can they find true happiness together.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Veteran Dreams: Forever Young

How could one party change so much?

It had been ten years since that night, and walking into the high school
reunion, Lita wasn’t sure what to expect. Her mind was riddled with memories, and her
heart was racing. The moment her eyes locked with Alex’s, her heart
started to beat again, as if part of her had been dead all those years. Life certainly
hadn’t gone as expected, and she had not lived up to the promises made that last night.

Feeling broken, Alex longed to move past the disappointment of his military
career. After his friend convinced him to go to his ten-year high school reunion, he
was surprised to find himself smitten with a girl from the past. Lita had
been sweet and innocent back then, but was she still? Part of him longed to see.

The two of them fall into a whirlwind, wanting to help the other heal and pursue their dreams.
But they may find the pressure is more intense than the passion the old spark ignited in them.

A stand-alone novel, Forever Young mixes passion and a drive for new beginnings in the Forever Young series.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Falling for the Competition: One life changing prize, two ambitious people

It’s going to be the best summer ever for ambitious, overachieving Quinn. A huge history buff, not only has she landed her dream job interning in the archives department of the local castle, but her best friend will be working there too.

However, Quinn isn’t the only one to be working in Archives this summer; Quinn’s academic rival, Patrick, is sharing her office in Muniments. They’re competing for the Letter of Recommendation (singular) from the research historian that Quinn needs to get her dream future placement.

Their emotionally-loaded and competitive rivalry turns into a reluctant friendship, as they spend every day working together in silence (and sharing the occasional Twix). Until the Re-Enactors arrive. Between Patrick and Harry – the Golden Knight of the jousting team – Quinn’s carefully planned summer is thrown into complete disarray. Meanwhile, her best friend’s relationship may look perfect on the outside, but Quinn is starting to realise that there’s more going on than there seems.

Although Quinn is determined and single minded about planning every detail of her sparkling future, she comes to discover that the best things in life are the spontaneous ones – and that some people are more important than any Letter of Recommendation (singular) could ever be.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Paranormal and Fantasy Romance Book Recommendations

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Do you like paranormal romance and/or fantasy romance books? Check out these paranormal and fantasy romance books by self-published/small press authors!

Bloodlaced (Youkai Bloodlines Book 1)

Kanjin hardly view their servants as human. Even less so when they are different.

Asagi is different. Both a man and a woman.

In the wake of his failure to protect a boy he saw as a son from their abusive master, Asagi is sold into the house of a young nobleman, Mahiro, who is the opposite of everything Asagi has ever known—gentle, kind, and generous.

Mahiro bonds with Asagi and their friendship blooms into a deep and profound love. But when Asagi is poisoned out of jealousy, Mahiro reveals himself to be youkai, a demon who feeds on blood, and he has no choice but to turn Asagi to save his life.

Asagi awakes reborn, strong, and eternally youthful. But the price for Asagi’s new life is high.

The blood of the innocent.

Just as Asagi’s trust in Mahiro falters, the boy he failed to protect, now a man, reappears.

New master, same threat.

With both a literal and proverbial monster at the door, Asagi must decide what it means to be human to protect what he loves most.

Content Warnings: physical abuse, s abuse (off-page), self-harm, blood, graphic violence

If you like Bella Forrest, P. C. Cast, AJ Tipton, or Anne Rice, you will love this beautiful dark paranormal fantasy romance.

Blood Pact (Youkai Bloodlines Book 2)

In Hiro’s world, youkai are a supernatural story used to scare children into obedience, and to keep men out of back alleys and brothels. Until Sakurai Hideyoshi walks through his door with a fantastical tale of a samurai who had killed a thousand men and drank the blood of his enemies, a man that lived in darkness but sought beauty to keep it at bay.

A story both terrifying and romantic…and completely ridiculous.

Unless it is true.

Convinced something softer lurks behind Hideyoshi’s hard mask, Hiro follows him home. And discovers the story is real.

Only instead of the blood of his enemies, it is innocent blood taken.

Hideyoshi tells him never to return. Yet after Hiro’s mother is mortally wounded, Hiro runs back to the one being he knows with the power to save her. When Hideyoshi can’t, Hiro begs him for the next best thing: the power to avenge her.

As Hiro becomes youkai, he faces a new threat, something darker, older, and far more dangerous. With Hideyoshi at his side, Hiro must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice--and what he’s willing to do--to protect this new life before he loses everything for a second time.

If you like Bella Forrest, P. C. Cast, AJ Tipton, or Anne Rice, you will love this beautiful dark paranormal fantasy romance.

Haze

When Eliza Owens gets a phone call in the middle of the night from a girl she’s never met, she doesn’t know what to think. The girl introduces herself as Paige, and says she used to date Erik Stern, Eliza’s fiancé. What’s more, she has something important to discuss.

The only problem? Paige has been dead for years.

Believing it to be a sick prank, Eliza tries to force it from her mind until Sam, Eliza’s older sister, tells her she met Paige only a few weeks before. And, according to Sam, Paige has nothing nice to say about Erik.

The fight which follows shatters the lives of everyone involved, and Erik disappears without a trace.

Five years later, Erik returns to town after his father’s death. Old wounds quickly resurface, and with them several burning questions. None the least of which is: Who spoke to Eliza and Sam if it wasn’t Paige? And why?

Free on Kindle Unlimited

What Does Your Book Organisation Method Say About You?

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For book lovers, an at-home library is way more than just a practical space for storage. Instead, those bookshelves become living, breathing features, and are often the things we spend most of our time admiring or toying with when we’re at home.

It’s for this reason that attractive editions of books often become so important to bibliophiles, and it’s also why we’ll always seek striking storage solutions like these timber shelves over a rushed or cheap bookcase. Unfortunately, no matter how attractive your books or shelving happen to be, your efforts to bring this space to life can still start to falter if you don’t also consider which style of bookish organisation best suits your needs.

Admittedly, most book lovers will continually reorganise and play around with their living libraries – that’s all part of the fun! However, most of us do this as part of a far wider quest to settle on our own true book organisation method at last and, when we finally find a method that helps us to always make the most of our books, it’s not unheard of for us to stick to it like glue.

Of course, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to book organisation, and the style that works for you is undeniably the right option. The question is, what exactly does your chosen style say about you as a person and a reader?

Exciting Queer Dark Urban Fantasy Series! Indie Book Recommendations

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Hi everyone! In this post I wanted to share a very exciting queer dark urban fantasy series!! Every book in the series sounds and looks so good and I want more people to know about it! There are 8 books, the last installment is due to release this May. The first book is currently free on Kindle so please check it out and leave a review to support the author!

Jack of Thorns

Laurence Riley might be able to see the future, but he can't see a way to fix his messed-up life. He can't control anything—not his supernatural talents, not his drug addiction, and not his violent ex-boyfriend. Laurence needs help and he knows it. A lifelong pagan, he turns to his god... and he gets Jack. Jack can help Laurence tame his powers and take control of his life. But it comes at a price: Laurence will need to keep him fed with regular offerings of sex. For the old Laurence, that would've been a pleasure. Problem is, Laurence has met Quentin.

Quentin is devastatingly handsome, way out of Laurence's league (like British nobility levels of out-of-his-league), and unbearably chaste. If that weren’t enough to keep Laurence away, Quentin's wild telekinesis is even more uncontrollable than Laurence's precognition. But Laurence doesn't want anyone else, and Jack is getting hungry.

Then Laurence foresees a glimpse of Jack's true plan. It will leave a trail of death across San Diego--and Laurence has been helping him do it. The past has taught him that the future can't be changed. But if Laurence and Quentin can't stop Jack, there won't be any future at all.

Jack of Thorns is the first book in a dark urban fantasy series where X-Men meets The Magicians.

FREE on Kindle

Knight of Flames

Some men are forged in fire.

Quentin d’Arcy may have survived a showdown with a god, but now he faces something far more terrifying: falling in love. And the secret he’s hiding from Laurence could burn them both.

Kane Wilson says he wants to make a better world—one in which psychics are out and proud without fear of reprisal or hatred—but there’s a trail of bodies buried in his past. Kane’s power is his words. When he commands, everyone obeys. They have no choice.

Everyone except Quentin. As the only person in San Diego immune to Kane’s mind-control, he is the psychic community’s last line of defense against Wilson’s murderous schemes.

The fire has been foreseen.

Quentin’s survival hasn’t.

Lord of Ravens

Hunter and prey. Which is which?

Laurence Riley believed that he was nothing. He couldn’t have been further from the truth. Descended from Herne the Hunter, his own need to seek prey has long gone unfulfilled. Now it’s out of control.

Something ancient is coming to take Quentin home: a creature of nightmare who feasts on the flesh of children. But Laurence has seen the real monster. The one who is pulling all their strings from afar.

Only Herne can prepare Laurence to face an evil which far outmatches him. Their enemy wields the most powerful weapon of all, and will destroy everyone Laurence loves unless he can master the same power.

He must learn magic.

Indie Book Recommendations #4

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Hello everyone! In this post I am going to be sharing some more random indie book recommendations! You can find more on my indie books page. 

Children of the Dragon (Children of An'katerr Book 1) (adult fantasy series)

Orphaned at a young age and taken in by Telvan’s most notorious bandit gang, Kinrou had no real expectations in life. He knew nothing of his past, nor did he care to. Then, one day, with the death of a Dragon Warrior, everything changed.

After a trip to Karath, the capital city of Telvan, he was told about a threat to the peace and that he had been hand picked by the Sky Lords themselves to stop it if only he could discoverwhat this threat was in time.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Children of the Fox (Children of An'katerr Book 2)

Kinrou finds himself once again heading out on the road after receiving some cryptic information from the Fire Lord. This time his journey takes him into the country of Zalityu with the hopes of learning about his past.Along the way he encounters Fox Warriors, dead men, and a lost god.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Children of the Wolf (Children of An'katerr Book 3)

Growing up is hard. Growing up as a foreigner in a strange land is harder. Nuren lived most of his life in a country not his own, with only the memories of a frightened child to remind him of who he is. Alone and longing for a home he barely remembers, he curses the gods that ripped him from his home, turning to a hidden divine force for solace. Shortly after turning sixteen, he enlists in the army as the first step towards enacting his vengeance.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Indie Book Recommendations #3

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Hello everyone! In this post I am going to be sharing some more random indie book recommendations! You can find more on my indie books page. 

The 13th Zodiac: Book One

The 13th Zodiac is a High Fantasy, slow-burn romance with a hint of Anime. Originally, L. Krauch wrote it as a comic book in High school. Now, 20 years, and three kids later, she sat down and wrote a novel. So, grab some tea, slice up an apple, and enjoy this mulit-PoV journey 20 years in the making.

Running from his past finally catches up to Jase Raion, an ex-member of the Ashen Guard and the Crown Prince of Chall. After settling on the island of Aria, he receives an unexpected contract: The lost princess of Aria was discovered living in the port town of Brighton, on the outskirts of the island Kingdom.

A trip to the markets in Brighton ends abruptly as Liya Fairaway stumbles into Jase. She vanishes in the busy marketplace when Jase realizes who she is, the lost princess of Aria and the bearer of the 13th Zodiac: Eternity. And his target.

Something ancient pulls them together, a bond that neither can deny. Reluctantly at first, Jase joins Liya and the other Zodiac to end the threat of Soren Raion, the King of Chall.

Time is not on their side, and Fate has other plans.

"I enjoyed the fight scenes and the supernatural themes. Another interesting development was the relationship between two people who are supposed to be enemies: Liya and Jase. The ending was immensely satisfying and rewarding. The worldbuilding was also great, for example, the idea that man was made with soil from the Titan of Urth and breath from the Titan of Sky." - Reader's favorite

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Rightly Wrong or Wrongly Right

Adara doesn't like parties, but as the daughter of the city's local newspaper and new station manager, Dania, she is expected to make social appearances. Her only friend is the family chauffeur and butler, Marshall. Dania shelters Adara and controls every aspect of her life. One day Adara travels to her cousin's house for a celebration. She follows her regular behavior pattern and isolates herself in a corner, talking to no one.

She is interrupted by Dean. She likes the man and agrees to leave the party with him to get fast food. Adara receives a blow to her head from armed robbers and realizes she doesn't want to go home. She spends the night with Dean and returns home the following day to her mother's mansion only to find she can't remember a thing from the night before. Her family thinks Dean assaulted her, but she Slowly remembers differently.

The next day Marshall tells her a story about her birth mother that changes everything. Determined to return to Dean, Adara runs away from her family. Dean realizes a plot within the family to frame him for Adara's amnesia. Adara later recollects the last time she saw her father, and now she wonders what happened to her father that night years before?

Open the Door, Let the Sun In

Lea is a friendless 26-year-old. She is dealing with untreated depression and anxiety. She decides to end it all by standing on the country road dressed in black. Darren is her 24-year-old neighbor. He has admired her from afar for years. Darren hits her and immediately rushes her to the local hospital, where she works. She slowly recovers and finds Darren by her side every day. Darren takes Lea home to continue her recovery, determined to marry her. But Blake returns.

Blake is Darren's older brother, and Blake has been overseas enjoying the combat. But now, Blake is determined to steal the girl. When Darren is out, Blake pretends to be Darren and has sex with Lea. Three days later, when her period is a day late, Lea takes a pregnancy test. She realizes there is no way it could be Blake's. But Blake finds the test and blackmails her by saying he will kill himself and take her with him.

Darren believes the pair and leaves feeling that Lea needs time with Blake to decide if she wants to marry him or the father of her child. Eight weeks later, Darren returns to find a terrified and tormented Lea. He extricates her from the house after Blake gets drunk and accidentally tells Darren the child might be his. Are they in time for a happy ending?

The Dead Squire: Book 1 of the Murickan Saga

A young man finds himself caught up in a battle for the throne. His strength and loyalties will be tested in ways that he couldn't have imagined. Filled with love courage and betrayal, The Dead Squire is a fast paced tale of sacrifice and loyalty. With life balanced on the edge of a sword, every decision is a matter of life or death.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

A SLICE of Truth

Run, hide, and don't let them get you. Once SLICE gets their hands on you, there is no coming back. They take your family; they kill your friends— all in the name of some twisted scientific authority.

Jax and Jericho Masterson saw firsthand what SLICE could do when they came for their parents. Now on the run, the two are struggling to live in a world neither of them has ever experienced. Being raised off the grid in the woods of the Smokey Mountains has left them without the skills needed to deal with human society, but they will learn... the hard way.

Marris Stratford only wanted to be the best big brother any little girl could ask for. He never did anything to call attention to himself, and always tried to do the right thing. Never would he have thought to be the target of a government agency no one had ever even heard of. With a dead heart, he will save his kind, even if it kills him.

SLICE- Supernatural Laboratories for the Investigation of Chaotic Entities

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Sci-Fi Books to Read!

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Hi everyone! In this post we will be looking at indie sci-fi books! Which book/s will you read?

A Twist in the Rift (Rift Runners Book 1)

If you could travel to different worlds, would you ever come back to this one?

Lyrica is the usual final year university student, except that she has the ability to see Rifts – portals to other worlds in this Universe. When her acquaintance Basil, a time-travelling archaeologist from the future shows up and needs her help, well, why would she resist the call of adventure? But what of these new aliens that have joined their group – will they draw Lyrica out of her self-justified, self-imposed loneliness? What will happen when the adventure turns more dangerous than anticipated?

In this first story of the Rift Runners Saga, find out what life is like when you can travel almost anywhere, and almost anything can happen!

These Violent Nights

Once upon a time, inhabitants of another world tore a hole through the universe and came to Earth. They called themselves Suriias, and rivalled humans in knowledge and skill with one great exception: they had magic.

War followed. Humanity lost. And three hundred years later, humans are on the brink of extinction.

Orphans Thorn and Thistle live in hiding. They are the last of their families, the last of their friends. They scrape by, stealing to survive and living on the streets or hiding in sheds. But even under the brutal regime of the Suriias, there are places where humans can mingle in secret with magical sympathisers, and one night Thistle gets an unexpected offer of marriage from a Suriia with high standing and friends in all the right places. For Thistle, it’s a chance at safety and comfort; for Thorn, it’s a chance to find the ones who killed her parents.

And so the pair move into the capital city of Courtenz. An urban monstrosity of magic and might, false friends and flying cars, drones and death tolls, the new city promises a fresh start – and new love – for both.

But if there’s one thing Thorn knows for certain, it’s that dreams can swiftly turn into nightmares.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

The Whispering Tombs (Quality Times #1): A Quality Times Novella

When an archaeologist alien invites you on a quest to discover hidden treasure, you don't say no. And the fact that his handsome, blue-skinned assistant will be along for the ride, is an added bonus.For space and time adventurer, Quality Times, the chance to go exploring in the caves of Azrokaran is too good an opportunity to refuse. But a startling discovery leads to a trip back in time, and loyalties are tested to the limits as those within the group reveal their true colours.The first book in the Quality Times series.

0.99 on Kindle

Author Interview: Casey Bell

1. Please introduce yourself (who are you, what genre/s do you write in, what books do you have out)

My name is Casey Bell. I am a published author of different mediums and genres. My Teen/Young Adult books are "The Diary of Stephanie," "4Score," and "The House on Atticus Lane," which is also a horror fiction. My fictional books are, "The Family of Strangers," "Essays of Dysfunctional Families: Literary Betrayal," “The Wishing Bottle”, “Crystal Fountain,” and “Buried Lies, Surface.” My non-fiction books are, “Moving 4Ward,” my memoir, “To College or Not College,” “Men Are Dogs: A Book for Single Ladies,” and “4 Keys to Success.” I also have compilation books, “Poetry from the Other Side,” “Art by Casey Bell,” and “Casey’s Song Book.” Lastly, my children’s books include: “You Are Beautiful,” “How to Love Your Bully,” “The Day the Rainbow Broke Up,” and “American History Series.”

Paranormal Romance Books on Kindle Unlimited!

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Hi everyone! So today I thought we would look at indie paranormal romance books that are available on Kindle but also free if you have Kindle Unlimited. Which book will you pick up?

Thief of Spring: A Hades and Persephone Retelling (Part One) (Faeries of the Underworld Duology Book 1)

The Greek Gods are real.

But they aren’t gods.

They’re faeries.

When 17-year-old Persephone accidentally stumbles upon a revel, she’s chosen as a sacrifice, but is saved from this fate when the Lord of the Underworld tricks her into becoming his companion for seven months instead. Sephy is taken to his dark palace under the earth, but the Lord of Night isn’t exactly what she expected him to be…

And neither is she.

Crimson Moon Hideaway: Cherish the Fallen (Sapphire Guardians Book 1)

Lyla loves her life guarding children, but she was long past due for a vacation. Like thousands of years past due. So when God orders it, Lyla’s best friend, Zimarra, drags her to the Paranormal World’s most amazing resort: Crimson Moon Hideaway. Lyla never expected to find work while on vacation or to find love with the demon father of her two young charges.Ashford had been at Crimson Moon Hideaway for a couple of weeks, ever since he had left Hell. He had grown tired of his life there, but leaving came with its own set of problems. Not only were assassins coming after him, but also for his kids. Part of the reason he chose the resort was for its close proximity to where his kids were.With the pressure heavy on the heels, the two of them must work past their differences to keep everyone safe. Can their unexpected attraction and feelings be the strength they need to save Ashford and his children?