Release Blitz - Southern Boy by Teralyn Mitchell

Title: Southern Boy

A Boys of Summer Series Novel

Author: Teralyn Mitchell

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 3, 2021

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Falling in love was never on the agenda. Oops…

Every family has an outcast, and in the Kindall family, it’s Lou. Avoiding them is her go-to move, but unfortunately, skipping her grandparent’s wedding anniversary celebration is not an option. Going alone, though? Total disaster. So, when her sexy neighbor volunteers to go with her, she agrees—quickly. Now, if only she could learn to ignore her very real attraction to her new fake boyfriend…

Beckett Davenport knows exactly how it feels to be an outcast. His childhood certainly taught him that. That’s why he refuses to let Lou face her judgmental family on her own. Besides, maybe if he does a really good job pretending to be her boyfriend, she’ll consider upgrading him to the real thing…

A few hot kisses and stolen moments later, their fake romance starts to feel all too real. But is a happily ever after in the cards for this southern boy and the girl of his dreams?

Lou and Beckett will soon find out…

Southern Boy, part of the Boys of Summer series, is a steamy, lightly angsty, contemporary romance featuring a shy heroine who is stronger than she realizes, and the gentle, protective hero who steals her heart. Purchase today and get ready to fall in love with this emotional summer romance novella!

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EXCERPT

Call me.

I stared at the text, dread pooling in my belly and making my mouth dry. The sounds of the coffee shop seemed to dim as I picked up my phone off the table. I’d been worrying about this happening when I’d asked my friend—and ex—to be my date for the party and reunion. Why in the hell did I ask Spencer of all people? Oh, right. Because he was my last option. I could hear my sisters and cousins asking about this mythical boyfriend who they thought I’d made up.

I’d stalled as long as I could before finally calling him. Spencer answered on the second ring.

“Hey,” he said.

Bile rose in my throat. “Hi.”

“I’m sorry to have to do this, Lou,” he started, and my shoulders drooped.

“Seriously, Spence? Fuck.”

“It turns out that Amie doesn’t have to go on her trip.”

“And what does that have to do with you coming to Elkwood with me?”

“What do you expect me to do? Tell my current girlfriend I’ll be gone for a week while pretending to be my ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend? She made some plans for us next weekend, and I can’t cancel on her.”

He’d had no trouble canceling on me every freaking chance he got when we were together. It was one of the reasons we broke up. I’d been stupid to ask him to fill the role of my boyfriend while in Elkwood. He couldn’t even keep his word when he was my actual boyfriend and I asked him to go home with me last Christmas. But I’d called or texted every guy I knew and none of them could go with me. Either they had prior engagements or didn’t want to do it.

It had been a last-ditch effort to ask Spencer, and now I was regretting my decision. What the fuck was I going to do now?

“Lou. You understand, right? And you can’t be mad at me about this,” he added after I hadn’t spoken for a few moments.

I hung up on him, dropping my head into my hands. My eyes prickled with unshed tears and that pissed me off more. When my phone started buzzing, I expected it to be Spencer calling back. It was worse.

“What do you want, Cheyenne?”

“I’m here too,” Savannah added. “We were talking, and Cheyenne insisted on calling you since Mama wanted to know—”

“Ma wants to know if you’re going to need an extra bedroom for your guest,” Cheyenne put in, cutting off our younger sister.

I bit my tongue to stop myself from trying to defend Savannah. She needed to learn how to stand up to Cheyenne, and I was dealing with my own shit right now.

“About that…” I started.

Cheyenne’s cackling laugh made me pause. “I told you she wasn’t bringing anyone, and it was all a fucking lie like every other time. So damn pathetic and can’t own up to your pitiful love life.”

I clutched my phone tighter, my blood starting to boil. “Tell Ma I only need one room. My boyfriend will be staying with me.”

For the second time in only five minutes, I hung up on someone, though I felt bad about hanging up on Savannah. I sent her a text apologizing and turned my phone on silent. The anger dissipated as fast as it'd sparked, and I felt drained. Those stupid tears were back, and I was trying hard not to cry in the middle of this busy coffee shop.

“Lou?”

I brought my eyes up to meet clear blue ones that held genuine concern. What the hell was he doing here?

AUTHOR BIO

Teralyn Mitchell is a new author to the contemporary romance scene who loves creating unique, multi-dimensional characters who face everyday issues that her readers can relate to. She writes the kind of books she likes to read whether they are about twenty-somethings living in the city or princesses and princes trying to find their way in the world.

She moved back to her hometown in the south almost two years ago to help care for her elderly grandmother with her mom. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, watching sports or crocheting blankets and scarves.

Visit her at https://teralynmitchell.com for the latest book news, and fun extras. Be sure to also subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date on new releases and sales: https://bit.ly/3e8FF5P

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Review - The Heat Is On by Katie Rose

Title: The Heat Is On

Series: The Boys of Summer #4

Author: Katie Rose

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Perfect for readers of Joanna Blake and Sawyer Bennett, hailed as “charming, sexy, and smart” by Lauren Layne, the Boys of Summer series from award-winning author Katie Rose heats up as a homegrown baseball star returns to snag the one that got away.

When veteran catcher Connor Jackson gets traded to the New Jersey Sonics, he welcomes the opportunity to possibly cap his career with a World Series ring in his home state. But there’s another reason Connor is glad things have come full circle. In pursuit of hardball glory, he left behind his college sweetheart, the one girl he could never forget. Seeing her again stirs up long-lost desires . . . and this time, he’s determined not to strike out.

A divorced mother of four, Tracy Coleman no longer aspires to gossip-mag glam—but she’ll make an exception for a date with Connor. Their chemistry is hotter than ever, and being alone with him is more seductive than she anticipated. Who could blame her for leaving out a little detail like the kids? Now all she has to do is come clean and convince the man of her dreams that they—Connor, Tracy, and her children—have a future together.

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I had such a hankering for a baseball book, and knowing I had so enjoyed the other books in this series, reading The Heat Is On was a very easy decision. I could hardly wait to start, and then I stupidly read it in one delicious sitting. Now, it’s over…and I still want more of Katie Rose’s Bad Boys of Baseball. Sigh.

Connor Jackson is nearing the end of his career, and what better place to go out than with the New Jersey Sonics? The team is known for having fun and playing hard—and having one more shot at the World Series he covets seems like the perfect finale to a successful career.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that being back in his home state puts him that much closer to the one that got away—his college sweetheart, Tracey Coleman. Only Tracey isn’t the girl she once was. With one failed marriage behind her, and four sweet kids she’s raising alone, she’s not the typically baseball girlfriend.

In order for them to move forward, Tracey’s going to have tell Connor about her past and her kids…but if she does, will the chemistry fizzle before they get their second chance?

Connor Jackson…I think he may be my favorite bad boy so far. Why? Ummm, well, he’s determined (to get his girl back), he’s passionate (about the game and his team’s success), he’s sexy (I wouldn’t worry about dinner either, if I were in lucky Tracey’s shoes), and when the going gets tough, he stands up for his own (take that, ex-husband!) I loved this guy so much, you guys. SO much.

I didn’t love Tracey as much as Connor. I mean…the catcher is a great catch, after all. But I did love that she was strong, that she was protective of her kids, and that she willing to lean on Connor when she needed to. I was a touch frustrated with her inability to tell Connor about her offspring at first, but it worked so well for the story—and finding out about them was just another reason to swoon for Mr. Jackson—I quickly forgave her for that.

The Heat Is On is steamy and rewarding, and seeing Connor with Tracey, with the kids, and with his team was a blast. And that ending—well, I’m surprised you couldn’t see my smile from here. This series has so much heart, and the banter between the Sonics players was the perfect cap to a romance that captured my attention, stole my heart, and made me wish for more sexy baseball players in this series. 

~ Review by Beth

It’s no coincidence that Connor Jackson plans to spend his last year in MLB as the Catcher for the New Jersey Sonics. He knows his career is winding down and he wants to take one last shot at the World Series—and the Sonics are the team that can bring him there. But more than that? Being in New Jersey brings him closer to Tracey Coleman, the one that got away. Once college sweethearts, Connor left Tracey behind when he chased his MLB dream, but now he’s ready to chase Tracey, and he plans to give it all he’s got in order to get her back in his life.

Tracey has her hands full. As the single mom of four young children, she’s just trying to make ends meet and keep everyone alive. Her ex-husband is a no-good deadbeat dad, and she’s just trying to make the best of the cards she’s been dealt. When Connor shows back up in her life, it feels like a dream come true. She finds it hard to believe that the man who’s haunted her dreams for years is carrying a torch for her. On top of that, she has no idea how to let him know that she’s a package deal. The truth comes out, as it is wont to do, and the two must decide if the realities of their lives will work in a relationship with each other. 

Oh man, these Boys of Summer keep stealing my heart. Connor is…amazing. He’s a grown up (which—YES!), he’s sexy, and he’s protective. He’s also a realist who understands that taking on four small children is a huge commitment, and not one that he’s willing to make right away. It hurt my heart a little to watch Connor and Tracey dance around each other, trying to do what was best for the children while nurturing the love they felt for each other. As a mom, I totally get that fierce protective instinct, and I also get how sometimes the answers aren’t always cut and dried and we’re left to make the best worst decision. I identified with Tracey in that way—even as she frustrated me with her inability to communicate sometimes. 

When Connor finally steps up to the plate, my heart literally took off. I loved it. I loved him. I loved their chaotic little family. I loved how big they made me smile and all the bubbly things they did to my heart. And, of course, I loved catching up with the other Sonics players. They’re a little bit rowdy and rough around the edges but man, I love these guys. Keep ‘em coming, Ms. Rose! 

~ Review by Shelly

Katie Rose is the bestselling author of twelve historical romance novels published under the names Colleen Quinn and Katie Rose. She is the recipient of the Romantic Times Achievement Award, and the Colorado Romance Writer’s award, as well as the Doug Perry award for excellence in journalism. A graduate of Temple University with a BA in Communications, Katie lives on a lake in Medford Lakes, New Jersey, and is hard at work on her next novel.

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Review - The Heat of the Moment by Katie Rose

Title: The Heat of the Moment

Series: The Boys of Summer #3

Author: Katie Rose

Release Date: September 22, 2015

The Boys of Summer are back! In Katie Rose’s sweet, sparkling novel, the newest New Jersey Sonic falls for the woman who’s trying desperately to save his career.

Physical therapist Jessica Hart has learned her lesson: Never date professional athletes. She’s been down that road, and barely recovered after the relationship crashed and burned. Then Jessica meets Gavin King. An All-Star slugger with chiseled good looks, Gavin was traded to the Sonics because he hurt his knee sliding into second, and now his future is in her hands. Gavin’s no bad boy—but he’s tempting enough to make Jessica think twice about all her rules.

Gavin is trying to find a comfortable routine. If he wants his old life back, he must take it easy, stay out of the limelight, and keep his distance from gorgeous redheaded physical therapists. The thing is, Gavin isn’t the kind of guy to sit on his ass and let other people pull his weight. And when he sees something he wants, he can’t help but fight for it, even if it means risking everything, even if it only lasts a single moment: like one kiss from Jessica.

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After a potentially career ending knee injury, Gavin King is traded from his plush set-up in California to the ragtag New Jersey Sonics. Leaving behind his swimsuit model girlfriend, and all the luxuries California affords, this is not a move that makes Gavin happy. When his beautiful swimsuit model girlfriend cheats on him, and then dumps him—things go from bad to worse. However, it doesn’t take long before his loveable prankster teammates bring him into their fold and then, of course, there’s Jessica Hart.

Jessica Hart is Gavin’s physical therapist. She’s been burned, badly, by a baseball player before—so she’s beyond not interested in the likes of fallen superstar Gavin King. She can’t deny there’s an attraction, and maybe he treats her with more tenderness and respect than anyone ever has before, but she’s not sure she can risk her heart again. Her insecurities, well earned, have her locked completely down, but Gavin is up for the challenge. 

Before this book, I was beginning to think I had something against baseball players. I love sports romances, but I haven’t really been swept away by a baseball player—until now. Hello, Gavin King. Welcome to my book boyfriend collection, make yourself at home cuz I plan on keeping you!

Gavin is perfect. He’s solid and strong, tender and sexy as all get out. He’s not a game player, and he’s not afraid of commitment and hard work. He’s everything that Jess is afraid of, but with that steady, tender heart. I mean, I love a bad boy as much as the next girl. But I also love it when a boy who is supposed to be bad is mature, and level headed, and just…perfect. Gavin is proof that you can be alpha without being an asshole. Nice guys don’t have to be boring. And there was never going to be a better fit for someone as wounded as Jess. 

Jess is incredibly likeable. She’s wounded, but she doesn’t let that define her. She’s plucky and smart and strong and kind. I’m not going to lie, I loved her almost as much as I loved Gavin. Her insecurities were understandable and she worked to get past them. She is the ultimate tomboy, but she’s not one-dimensional and she also embraces her inner sex kitten. She’s the kind of girl I’d want for a best friend, and the perfect fit for Gavin. If I have to share him with someone, I’m glad it’s Jessica Hart.

I truly loved everything about this book. It’s flirty and sexy and fun—it turns out nice guys can ruin a girl’s panties just as easily as a bad boy can! The chemistry between Jess and Gavin is smokin’ hot and a rewarding balance to their easy, fun friendship. Jess’s family is hilarious, and of course, the knuckleheads on Gavin’s team are always good for a laugh (one of the best parts of sports romance is that team camaraderie—and this book does not disappoint). Everything about this book just felt good – and it just might have been enough to make a baseball groupie out of me. 

~ Review by Shelly

I've said it before, and I will say it again... Baseball = ARM PORN. And for that reason alone, I would pick up a baseball book--the visuals. Not to mention, I enjoyed the second book in this series enough to want to come back for more. So, yeah, grabbing The Heat of the Moment was an easy decision. Falling in love with Gavin, even easier! 

Gavin King isn't exactly thrilled to be traded to the New Jersey Sonics after a potentially career-ending knee injury makes him too much of a risk for his much more successful Californian team. But he's bound and determined to make the most of it--he's no quitter, and he is not afraid of hard work. 

Part of getting the knee right is working with Sonics' physical therapist, Jessica Hart, a very tempting, very attractive redhead that draws him in. Only Jessica isn't about to break her no-baseball-players dating rule for anyone, least of all a cocky, handsome slugger from California. 

Gavin won't let that stop him though. He knows what he wants, and he'll do whatever it takes to get his knee right--and Jessica into his arms. 

I really, really enjoyed this story. It was a lot of fun, and Gavin was just mmm, yummy! Sure, he knows he's good at what he does, but he doesn't take it for granted--he's willing to put in the hard yards, for both his career and Jess's heart, and I loved him for it. He was kind, funny, and protective, and an incredibly perfect match for his girl, who had been burned by a ball player in the past. 

Jess was also kind of perfect. I mean, sure, she was guarded because she'd been hurt before, but in a believable way--a way that made me want to junk-punch the douche that hurt her, and made Gavin's courtship of Jess that much harder for him. She was smart, sassy, surprisingly (to herself, more than anyone) sexy, and had a group of brothers that I wouldn't say no to reading more about... *cough cough*

The team is, once again, super fun and funny here. I love the Sonics; they're a ragtag bunch in many ways, but their pluck and their pranks are so endearing, you can't help but root for them. Even the bad apples aren't that bad in the end, and that's spot-on for a group of men that love the game, and find enjoyment in it, in and out of the diamond. I do wish we'd got a touch more at the ending for the team, but I'll be back for the next boy in the Boys of Summer series, and will get another Sonics (and arm porn) fix then. 

~ Review by Beth

Katie Rose is the bestselling author of twelve historical romance novels published under the names Colleen Quinn and Katie Rose. She is the recipient of the Romantic Times Achievement Award, and the Colorado Romance Writer’s award, as well as the Doug Perry award for excellence in journalism. A graduate of Temple University with a BA in Communications, Katie lives on a lake in Medford Lakes, New Jersey, and is hard at work on her next novel.

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