This sampler provides a sneak peek of the books from our 2023 Smartypants Romance launches! Read for a sneak peek of the following books: Dough You Love Me? by Stacy Travis Tough Cookie by Talia Hunter Can’t Fight It by Allie Winters The Vinyl Frontier by Lola West Letter Late Than Never by Lauren Connolly Look Smart by Aly Stiles Smart Move by Amanda Pennington Peaches and Dreams by Julilette Cross Ewe Complete Me by Susannah Nix Meet Your Matcha by Nanxi Wen All Mixed Up by Heidi Hutchinson Love Matched by Laney Hatcher
When a mysterious silver fox becomes intrigued with this small town's most disliked society woman, he finds she's more than a little trouble and possibly a whole lot of heart. Scotia Simmons. The name says it all-ornery, judgmental, mean-but underneath a woman like that is typically a shattered heart. Locked within her secrets, this fried pickle princess has used her unkindness as a shield of protection against the loneliness. However, menopause and a one-night stand can change a woman's perspective on things. Who knew it would take a man the likes of him to push her strong will to its limits? Chester Chesterfield. The name has more than one meaning-generous, quiet, private-but within one man is a multitude of personas. The gruff oil mogul has a wounded heart (and a big secret) that holds him hostage from the man he's meant to be. His past defined him, or so he thought. He never imagined it'd take a woman like her to push him over his carefully constructed edges and show him love has no boundaries. When you're in a pickle, it's time to relish what-or rather who-stands before you and accept that even over forty, a second chance at love can be a big dill (every pun intended). 'Love in a Pickle' is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #9 in the Green Valley Library series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Dawn Botstein is doing just fine after her divorce, thank you very much. She's got her yarn store to run, her house to herself for the first time in her life, and no use for men anymore. That is until the hottie silver fox who walks into her store turns out to be her old high school crush-the guy who rejected her 30 years ago. No way is she going to lose her head over him this time, no matter how well he wears that salt-and-pepper lumberjack beard. Okay, so he's the opposite of her ex in every way, and his attention gives her a thrill she thought she'd never feel again. She's not risking her heart again. Mike Pilota is having a mid-life crisis. Only instead of buying a red sports car he can't afford and dressing like a 25-year-old who's time-traveled from the 1990s, he quit his job after his second divorce to move closer to his recently widowed mother. He didn't expect to run into Dawn again, but as soon as he lays eyes on her he's utterly smitten. So he sets out to make up for past mistakes and prove he can be the kind of man she deserves. But is it too late for second chances? Or will these two lonely hearts find a way back to each other? 'Mad About Ewe' is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #1 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Skip has one goal: retrieve his romantically reckless best friend from Green Valley, Tennessee and get back to their normal life. Then Skip meets Jack. The handsome and caring stranger is just another distraction from his careful plans. Jack has dealt with more than his fair share of troubled men and is done with letting his guard down. When he meets walking red flag, Skip, he knows he should run the opposite direction and ignore their chaotic attraction. Only, fate seems to have other plans when they are stuck on a camping trip together. Jack and Skip are convinced they can put their attraction aside and focus on helping their friends. One quick trip, one shared tent, what could possibly go wrong? 'Hopelessly Devoted' is a contemporary romance novella and can be read as a standalone. Book #3.5 in the Scorned Women's Society series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Leigh D'Alessandro is a fighter. She fought to escape her dysfunctional family, to end a soul-killing marriage, and to build a new life in a small Tennessee town. When the fate of the community hospital she works for is threatened, she's primed and ready for battle. What she can't fight any longer is her unshakable attraction to her best friend's brother, who has a notorious reputation and triggers all her worst fears about trust and betrayal. Walker Leffersbee is a lover. At least that's the reputation he's built in his hometown. Scion of a prosperous Tennessee banking family, he's a known ladies' man and a confirmed bachelor. His hands are full as he juggles competing demands from his family's bank and his growing property renovation business. The last thing he needs is to give in to his long-standing craving for his sister's headstrong and hot-tempered best friend. Especially because she's the only one who knows the secret that threatens to upend his life. When a home renovation project brings them too close for comfort, they both struggle to withstand the growing heat. As they grow closer helping each other navigate family minefields, Walker learns that love is not a four-letter word, and Leigh realizes that some battles are meant to be lost. But Walker's secret is the one thing that could keep them apart, unless they both decide to fight for the love they never looked for but now can't live without. 'Before and After You' is a contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #2 in the Leffersbee series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Forrest Winters isn't just a federal fire marshal; he's a thorn in Ranger Sierra Betts's side. The way he swings his big axe, fixes her with his chameleon gray eyes, and talks about his jurisdiction has a way of breaking her concentration. He has a way of showing up everywhere he doesn't belong, including Greenbrier Ranger Station. And he really needs to quit stealing her bacon bites. When a series of suspicious fires, an underhanded co-worker, and a cagey Parks Police Chief threaten her job and the park itself, Sierra grudgingly agrees to partner with Forrest. Their side investigation may be her best shot at preventing the framing of an innocent man. But can his firefighting expertise and her detective skills lead them to the real arsonist before Forrest breaks her with his charm? 'Forrest for the Trees' is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone and is book #1 in the Green Valley Heroes series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe
Mia knows stress. She's dealt with it her whole life. So when she gets an opportunity to run a psychology study to help her get into grad school, it should be no problem dealing with the prickly guy she suddenly finds herself paired with. The one she had a secret crush on last year. The one who refuses to let anyone close. The one she's discovering by the day may have a softer side than he lets anyone else see... Tyler knows stress. He's grappled with it for as long as he can remember. And just because he has to share credit with this girl on his new psychology study doesn't mean he has to be friends with her. Except she somehow keeps worming her way into his life. In school. In the boxing gym. In his bed. But everyone knows it's safer to keep to yourself. You can't hurt anyone that way. Even if it means giving up the best thing that's ever happened to him. As things heat up in the Stress Lab, will this match be able to work together without disruption, or will this growing attraction between them eventually... combust? 'Under Pressure ' is a full-length new adult contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #1 in the Lessons Learned series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.
One unforgettable night leads to an unlikely shared connection, and unlikely connections never go unnoticed by the good folks in Green Valley, Tennessee. . . Jackson James follows the rules. He has to. He’s a sheriff’s deputy in a super small town with a super big personality. However, strict adherence to the law during the day has been enjoyably balanced by rakish rules at night. Jackson, typically happy to protect and serve (and serve, and serve), starts questioning the value of wayward evenings when getting laid starts to feel more like being waylaid. Could it be that Green Valley’s most eligible—and notorious—bachelor longs for something (and someone) real? Mega movie star Raquel Ezra follows only one rule: always leave them wanting more. Studio execs, reporters, audiences, fans, lovers—no one can get enough of the smart, savvy, and sexy bombshell. But when “generous offers” begin to feel more like excessive demands, years of always leaving has the elusive starlet longing for something (and perhaps someone) lasting. When Raquel abruptly returns to the quirky Tennessee hamlet, her path crosses with the delectable deputy with whom she spent one unforgettable night. Unfortunately, scandal and intrigue soon follow. Raquel and Jackson must decide which is more important: following their rules? Or, at long last, finding something real. ‘Totally Folked’ is the first book in the Good Folk series and is a full-length, small town, contemporary romantic comedy novel. TOTALLY FOLKED is a standalone, contemporary romantic comedy novel and book #1 in the Good Folk: Modern Folktales series.
