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Western contemporary fans will be thrilled to know USA Today bestselling author Tina Leonard’s Last of the Red-Hot Riders will be available, featuring the toughest rodeo rider in Hell, Texas.
And, PNR fans, never fear—Witches Be Burned, a Magic & Mayhem novel releases from USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy, where a rookie guardian sworn to combat the undead risks life and love in a world of violence, witchcraft, and seduction.
New Adult audiences will enjoy Amber Hart’s Captured by You, the sequel to Until You Find Me, in which Raven and Jospin must fight for each other in a world where love is never safe—and power is deadly.
Meet new friends this month with Loveswept books—stories that invite you on fabulous journeys with some pretty amazing characters. Who knows, you may find a new book boyfriend, too!
Until next month ~Happy Romance!
Gina Wachtel
Associate Publisher
Read on for an excerpt from
Devil’s Pride
by Missy Johnson and Ashley Suzanne
Available from Loveswept
Prologue
Annika
“My. Mother. Told. Me. To. Pick. The. Very. Best. One. And. You. Are. Not. It,” I whisper, going back and forth between two dresses. They’re both so beautiful, but only one will be perfect. I just don’t know which one.
“Annie, come on, honey. Ryder will be here any minute,” my mother yells up the stairs.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
Picking up my phone, and still undecided on the dress, I call my best friend, Sommer. She’ll know exactly what to do. The second she answers, I don’t waste time with pleasantries.
“Blue or gray?” I ask.
“Are we talking about the dresses again? Just pick one already. You look great in both.”
“I wouldn’t have bought them if I didn’t, Sommer. But tonight has to be perfect. I finally got him to ask me on a date. And to homecoming, no less. Please, Sommer, just pick for me. That way if it goes terribly wrong, I have someone else to blame,” I joke.
“Go with the gray. Your eyes look amazing with that color.”
Hanging up and tossing the phone on the bed, I stand in front of the mirror and step into the gray number, the top strapless and the bottom floor length, with a slit to my upper thigh. Spinning in slow, meticulous circles, I look for any imperfections. Anything that will scream out at me that this is the wrong choice. When I can’t find anything, I release the clip on top of my head, letting the chestnut tendrils fall down my back and around my face.
I’m not vain by any means, but I have to say I look amazing. I look like nothing Ryder has ever seen before. He’s used to me hanging out with the guys in ripped jeans and dirty sneakers. When I walk down those stairs, his jaw’s going to drop.
“Come on, Annie.” I faintly hear a knock at the front door and silently thank my mother for the last-minute warning. Taking a few deep breaths, I carry my shoes in my hand, worried that my lack of walking in heels will result in me being rushed to the emergency room instead of going to the dance. That just can’t happen. Not tonight.
At the landing, I grab on to the banister and pray I look as graceful and classy as I feel. A strong hand comes down on my shoulder. Glancing back, I take in the shocked look of my oldest brother, Nik.
“You look gorgeous, Annika. He better not try anything. I swear I’ll kill him.” Gritting his jaw, he tries to peek around the half-wall separating us from the people downstairs.
“Get a grip, Nik. He’s only taking me because you won’t let me date anyone. If you had it your way, I’d be going with you or Marx tonight. Thank God for Ryder.” I try not to think about it, but it’s the truth. In this world, the world that my family and Ryder’s family live in, girls like me have no chance. Instead of having just two protective brothers, I have an entire clan full of them.
The Devils MC is one of the most notorious clubs around. Everyone in town knows not to screw with these guys. It’s never shocked me that boys don’t ask me out like they do the other girls. I don’t get asked for my phone number. I’ve never been felt up under the bleachers. Hell, I’ve kissed only one boy before, and he was new in town and had no idea who my family was. That was my first and last kiss.
I love the family. I love all my uncles. I love everything about it…except that. Being the daughter and sister of a member is both a blessing and a curse. I’ve never felt more loved and safe, but there’s not much I wouldn’t give to have a boy come over to watch a movie and end up messing around under the blanket. Every other sixteen-year-old girl gets to experience it; I just want the same chance.
“You better get down there. He ain’t gonna wait forever.” I turn and squeeze Nik around his middle, and he walks back to his room and I begin my descent.
