Tag Archives: Monica Murphy

Keep Me In Your Heart by Monica Murphy-review tour

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Keep Me In Your Heart (Lancaster Prep: Next Generation 2) by Monica Murphy-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 3, 2024

This was supposed to be the best year of Rowan Lancaster’s life. Instead, thanks to a massive linebacker, his ankle is broken and his last football season at Lancaster Prep is done. Just like that. Now his days are dull and gray. Boring.

Except for the days that include Arabella Hartley Thomas.

She’s the girl everyone wants to be friends with. Beautiful but approachable. Stylish. Quirky. Yet she gets under Rowan’s skin like no other, and he doesn’t understand why. Sure, they flirt and banter and give each other grief. But now she invades his dreams and makes his heart pound so hard he’s sure she can see it.

Until suddenly, not only does Arabella see every part that he wishes he could hide, he realizes if he let himself, he could fall―hard.

Which is the same day he learns she might be leaving…for good.

••••

REVIEW: KEEP ME IN YOUR HEART is the second instalment in Monica Murphy’s contemporary, young / new adult LANCASTER PREP: NEXT GENERATION erotic, romance series set in the author’s LANCASTER PREP world, which is a spin off from the author’s ONE WEEK GIRLFRIEND and THE CALLAHANS series. This is eighteen year old, Rowan Lancaster (son of Wren and Crew Lancaster) and soon to be eighteen year old, Arabella Thomas’s story line. KEEP ME IN YOUR HEART can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Rowan and Arabella) KEEP ME IN YOUR HEART follows the enemies to lovers relationship between eighteen year old, Rowan Lancaster (son of Wren and Crew Lancaster) and soon to be eighteen year old, Arabella Thomas. For several years Rowan and Arabella have made snarky and snide comments to one another but forced to work together on a number of school projects , they quickly discover their tempestuous actions hide a palpable attraction to one another. With the approach of the holidays, Arabella plans to spend her time alone but Rowan isn’t willing to let Arabella spend her vacation at school. Time spent together shows Arabella the true meaning of family and holiday celebrations.

The world building focuses on Rowan Lancaster , and Arabella Thomas’ future choices. Their final year at Lancaster Prep sees a change for Rowan, and the possibility of Arabella walking out of Rowan’s life. We are up close and personal with Arabella’s dysfunctional family dynamics, and the loving, large extended Lancaster clan.

The relationship between Arabella and Rowan begins acrimoniously ; their back and forth hides a barely veiled attraction that everyone sees, but our couple refuses to admit. Working together, and spending time with one another reveals drama from the past, drama that is continuing into the present and future. The sexual tension is palpable; the $ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and familiar secondary and supporting characters including characters from the author’s original LANCASTER PREP series including Wren and Crew (A MILLION KISSES IN YOUR LIFETIME): Willow Lancaster, and Rhett Bennett (ALL MY KISSES FOR YOU) We are introduced to Callahan Bennett, and the requisite mean girls who push at our story line heroine.

KEEP ME IN YOUR HEART is an emotional story of secrets and lies, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is dramatic and engrossing; the romance is spicy and flirty; the characters are broken, determined and animated.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one ALL MY KISSES FOR YOU

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

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End Game (Kings of Campus 1) by Monica Murphy-review tour

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🩷End Game (Kings of Campus 1) by Monica Murphy-review tour🩷

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 17, 2024

In this fun, sexy college romance, a transfer student finds herself living in a house full of football players—and falling for the one she knows she shouldn’t want.

Everleigh

Transferring to UC Santa Mira is supposed to be my ultimate college experience—until housing falls through at the last minute. So when I overhear a group of guys complaining they need another roommate, I jump at the opportunity.

They’re just football players. Even if one of them makes me weak in the knees, it doesn’t mean anything unless I let it. And I won’t.

We want different things. Wanting each other doesn’t change that.

Nico

It’s my senior year and final season with the Santa Mira Dolphins. The last thing I need is a distraction, but that’s exactly what this girl is. Ever is too leggy, too gorgeous, too thoughtful—and a whole lot of too much that gets under my skin.

I guess I get under hers too. I can’t help myself.

We live together. That alone makes it a bad idea…but I never could resist a little trouble.

•••••

REVIEW:END GAME is the first instalment in Monica Murphy’s contemporary, new adult KINGS OF CAMPUS football romance series. This is twenty-two year old Nico Valente, and twenty-one year old Everleigh Olmstead’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Nico and Everleigh) END GAME covering a few weeks in the lives, follows the building romance and relationship between Nico and Everleigh. Everleigh Olmstead has transferred to UC Santa Mira but in a matter of hours, our heroine is homeless, jobless, a victim of theft, with no place to go. Overhearing a conversation between roommates and college students, Everleigh finds herself the newest member of the household, a household full of football stars (Nico, Frank, Cooper), and the envy of every girl on campus but all is not as it appears to be when jealousy, envy, issues of trust, the requisite mean girl aim to take our heroine down. Nico finds himself pulled into the aura that is Everleigh Olmstead but Nico is not the only roommate to set his sights on our story line heroine.

The world building focuses on the friendships between roommates and teammates, issues of trust, jealousy, and a reputation as a player for our story line hero.

The relationship between Nico and Everleigh is one of immediate attraction but Everleigh believes Nico is out of her league; unworthy of a football star’s attention, and just another proverbial notch in a long line of women. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

We are introduced to several members of the UC Santa Mira Dolphin’s foot ball team: Frank Dollar, Cooper, quarterback Gavin, Cooper’s sister Sienna, and Nico’s former fling Portia. There is something developing between Sienna and Gavin.

END GAME is a story of friendships, relationships, family and love. The premise is captivating but there is limited conflict; anti climactic and the mean girl story line quickly disappears-. The romance is seductive; the characters are determined and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

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All My Kisses For You by Monica Murphy-review tour

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All My Kisses For You (Lancaster Prep: Next Generation 1) by Monica Murphy-review tour

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Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3HYWQYS

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 4, 2024

Everyone loves Willow Lancaster, and every girl wants to be her. She’s the perfect student. Stylish, kind to all and always flashing that beautiful smile.

After spending her junior year studying in Europe, she returns to Lancaster Prep, eager to kick off being a senior with her friends and maybe even start something up with her old crush?

But everything has changed. Her supposed best friend is dating her crush, new cliques have formed and everyone is OBSESSED with the new guy on campus.

Rhett Bennett is gorgeous. Lethally charming. Absolutely full of himself. He’s also the star quarterback of the football team and suddenly everyone on campus is a sports fan.

He is everything Willow should never want yet…he’s all she can think about. And when she realizes Rhett might feel the same way about her, she’s desperate to throw away her good girl reputation and do bad things.

•••••

REVIEW:ALL MY KISSES FOR YOU is the first instalment in Monica Murphy’s contemporary, YA/NA LANCASTER PREP : NEXT GENERATION erotic, romance series, a spin off from the author’s Lancaster Prep, with characters are references to the author’s ONE WEEK GIRLFRIEND and THE CALLAHANS series. This is high school/ Lancaster Prep seniors Willow Lancaster, and Rhett Bennett’s story line. Rhett is the son of Eli Bennett and Ava Callahan (Addicted to Him), and Willow is the daughter of Crew and Wren Lancaster (A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime).

Told from dual first person perspectives (Rhett and Willow) ALL MY KISS FOR YOU follows the building relationship between our story line couple. Willow Lancaster has return to Lancaster Prep, having spent her junior year in Europe but Willow never expected to discover the boy with whom she had a crushed had fallen in love with her best friend Alana. Trying to see the positive, Willow will come face to face with her future in the guise of senior quarterback Rhett Bennett, a young man with a reputation that precedes his introduction to our story line heroine but as Rhett and Willow’s relationship quickly turns into something more, there is someone else behind the scenes, desperately pulling our couple apart. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Rhett and Willow, as the couple must navigate the ups and downs of senior year.

The world building focuses on the final year at Lancaster Prep; the rich and uber rich, the famous and infamous, as well as the reintroduction and mention of several characters we had previously met in both The Callahans, and Lancaster Prep series.

The relationship between Rhett and Willow begins slowly. Willow is shy, a bit of a recluse but able to hold her own when she has to but the attention from Rhett sets Willow’s world into a frenzy, and someone else is taking aim at our story line couple. Rhett Bennett knows Willow is the woman to call to his heart but Willow is pulling away, and Rhett is desperate to uncover what happened and why. The $ex scenes are passionate and intimate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Willow’s cousin Iris Lancaster and her boyfriend Brooks Crosby, as well as Willow’s brother Rowan; Rhett’s brother Callahan; Silas Fortner, Alana Kirkpatrick, and the return of several characters previously introduced in the aforementioned interconnected series.

ALL MY KISSES FOR YOU is a story of family, friendships, relationships and love. The premise is endearing and captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are determined, stubborn and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

FOLLOW: Goodreads/ Website/ Facebook/ Twitter / Newsletter Sign Up

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LONELY FOR YOU ONLY (Lancaster ) by Monica Murphy-review tour

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LONELY FOR YOU ONLY (Lancaster World) by Monica Murphy-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 6, 2024

Young heiress Scarlett Lancaster is delighted when her father tells her he hired a famous pop star and former boy band member to play at her eighteenth birthday. But delight becomes utter disappointment when it turns out he wasn’t talking about Harry Styles. No, Scarlett’s dad hired Tate Ramsey, former lead singer of the band Five Car Pileup, who hasn’t been popular for years.
Tate, after years of alcohol- and drug-fueled partying, is sober and ready for a comeback. He is in top form at Scarlett’s party and blows the audience away with his performance—though Scarlett herself still isn’t impressed. But when they talk after he leaves the stage, their encounter ends in a kiss that surprises them both—and immediately goes viral.
The viral kiss and the video of Tate singing at the party do wonders for both of their burgeoning careers. So after some careful negotiation, the two of them agree to start a fake relationship. But before long they discover their feelings might not be fake after all …

•••••

REVIEW: LONELY FOR YOU ONLY by Monica Murphy is a contemporary, new adult, slight rock star romance story line set in the author’s Lancaster Prep world. This is twenty-year old, former teen singing idol Tate Ramsey, and eighteen year old heiress Scarlett Lancaster’s story line. LONELY FOR YOU ONLY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Tate and Scarlett) LONELY FOR YOU ONLY follows the fake relationship between our story line couple. A scandal destroyed Tate Ramsey’s career but a call for a personal appearance for a ‘spoiled little rich girl’s’ eighteenth birthday part was about to set Tate’s career on a new path. Scarlett Lancaster knew her parents would go above and beyond for her eighteenth birthday but she never expected her father to hire the heart throb teen idol she fell for at thirteen years of age. Enter Tate Ramsey. A late night kiss would go viral throughout social media, and Tate’s popularity and music career would once again rise but a new contract and new promoter came with a caveat-a fake relationship with Scarlett to keep the fans wondering. What ensues is the fake but building romance and relationship between our story line couple, and the fall-out when their secret is exposed.

The world building focuses on the growing relationship between our story line couple, and the potential for heart break. Scarlett has become Tate Ramsey’s muse, and with the possibility of their secret becoming public knowledge, Tate struggles with the what-ifs and whys.

The relationship between Tate and Scarlett begins as a birthday party entertainment in which Scarlett battles between head and heart with Tate’s scandal ridden career and the ‘boy’ she once loved from afar. Tate Ramsey didn’t need another scandal but a boost to his all but destroyed career came with the bonus of Scarlett Lancaster, a naïve young woman whose life is about to explode. Falling for one another was easy but the truth may destroy their growing love. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Scarlett’s parents Gloria and Fitzgerald Lancaster; her best friend Rachel, several promoters and agents, as well as Scarlett’s crush Ian Baldwin.

LONELY FOR YOU ONLY is a coming of age story of secrets and lies, betrayal and jealousy, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The slow building premise is entertaining but the conflict is limited and quickly remedied. The romance is tender and subtle; the characters are sweet but somewhat immature-the overall feel of the story felt more YA (young adult) than eighteen to twenty year olds.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Things I Wanted To Say
A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime
Birthday Kisses 2.5
Promises WE Meant to Keep
I’ll Always Be With You
You Said I Was Your Favorite
New Year’s Day

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

FOLLOW: Goodreads/ Website/ Facebook/ Twitter / Newsletter Sign Up

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NEW YEAR’S DAY (Lancaster Prep Holiday Novella) by Monica Murphy

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NEW YEAR’S DAY (Lancaster Prep Holiday Novella) by Monica Murphy -review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 12, 2023

Catch up with all the couples from the LANCASTER PREP series!

‘Tis the damn season for wicked snowstorms, which means the annual New Year’s Eve celebration that’s held at Whit and Summer’s estate is completely snowed in. With no guests able to arrive, the Lancasters decide to invite their young children to attend the party and make it a true family event.

Revisit your favorite couples from the Lancaster Prep series and get to know their children in this special holiday themed novella! PLUS read an exclusive excerpt from the upcoming novel ALL MY KISSES FOR YOU, featuring Crew and Wren Lancaster’s daughter, Willow!

•••••

REVIEW: NEW YEAR’S DAY by Monica Murphy is a contemporary, adult novella found in the author’s Lancaster Prep series.

Told from several first person perspectives including the next generation of Lancasters, NEW YEAR’S DAY is a sweet, light, look at several of the couples previously introduced and featured in the Lancaster Prep series. A New Year eve snow storm has all but cancelled plans at Whit and Summer’s estate but with most of the family present and accounted for, the party is becomes family friendly and personal with a little retrospective about the past.

NEW YEAR’S DAY is a charming, entertaining and light look at the next generation, and the beginning of their parent’s anxiety knowing what happens when the children become teens and young adult.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Things I Wanted To Say
A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime
Birthday Kisses 2.5
Promises WE Meant to Keep
I’ll Always Be With You
You Said I Was Your Favorite

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

FOLLOW: Goodreads/ Website/ Facebook/ Twitter / Newsletter Sign Up

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You Said I Was Your Favorite by Monica Murphy-review tour

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You Said I Was Your Favorite (Lancaster Prep 5) by Monica Murphy-review tour

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Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/47c3Ay1

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 19, 2023

Daisy Albright. Incredibly beautiful. Painfully shy.

Nobody in our class pays attention to the groundskeeper’s daughter and I think she likes it that way. Moving through the halls like a ghost, wandering across campus unnoticed. Am I the only one who actually sees her? Little Miss Daisy sitting in the front of the classroom, always the model student. Little Miss Daisy reading her romance books with the cute covers and hot content inside…

I’m considered the reckless Lancaster so when I get in trouble on the first day of school, my punishment is having to work in the headmaster’s office every day, stuck with Daisy. Staring at her pretty face, hearing her sweet voice, making her laugh.

The more I get to know her, the more obsessed I become. And I think she feels the same way.

The problem? She’s not part of my crowd. Daisy is the scholarship kid and no one approves of us together. Not my friends, not my parents and not her father. But I don’t care what anyone thinks. I’m going after what I want.

I’m going to make Little Miss Daisy mine.

••••

REVIEW:YOU SAID I WAS YOUR FAVORITE is the fifth instalment in Monica Murphy’s contemporary, young-new adult LANCASTER PREP romance series. This is eighteen year old, Archibald ‘Arch’ Lancaster, and Daisy Albright’s story line. YOU SAID I WAS YOUR FAVORITE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told by dual first person perspectives (Daisy and Arch) YOU SAID I WAS YOUR FAVORITE follows the building romance and relationship between our story couple. Arch Lancaster is the rich boy, heir apparent, and his family owns the prestigious and private high school Lancaster Prep but Arch never expected to find himself falling for the school groundskeeper’s daughter Daisy Albright but when forced to work together, Arch refuses to acknowledge his attraction and treats our heroine with intentional hurt. Daisy never expected to find herself the target of the school bully, not only does Arch treat her with disdain but his ex girlfriend is about to lay claim to our story line hero but Arch’s attitude quickly turns when he realizes that his verbal attacks have caused Daisy so much emotional pain and hurt. Working together softens the lines between our story line couple but their parents are determined to keep the couple apart. What ensues is the building but trepidatious relationship between Daisy and Arch, and the potential fall-out when Arch Lancaster and Daisy Albright are pulled apart by the people in their lives.

The world building continues to focus on the Lancaster family but we see a darker and snobbier attitude with the current parental units. Appearances and bloodlines are to be respected, and Daisy is deemed not good enough for our story line hero.

The relationship between Daisy and Arch begins as a bully romance. Archibald Lancaster treats Daisy with unbridled hatred, and words said in anger threaten the mental health of our story line heroine. Daisy will be targeted not only by Arch but by his former girlfriend who refuses to let go. Days together peal back the layers of hurt, and our couple find themselves falling in love against their parent’s wishes. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include several staff members and teachers; Daisy’s father Ralph Albright; Arch’s best friend JJ, and his ex girlfriend Cadence.

YOU SAID I WAS YOUR FAVORITE is a story of opposites: power and control, money and struggle, working class and upper class, discrimination and jealousy. There are the requisite young adult trope formulas: mean girls, bullies, faux friends, controlling adults, and threats to emotional health. The thought provoking premise is heart breaking and emotional; the romance is seductive; the characters are determined, dynamic and spirited.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Things I Wanted To Say
A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime
Birthday Kisses 2.5
Promises WE Meant to Keep
I’ll Always Be With You

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

FOLLOW: Goodreads/ Website/ Facebook/ Twitter / Newsletter Sign Up

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Playing to Win (The Players 3) by Monica Murphy-review tour

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Playing to Win (The Players 3) by Monica Murphy-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3pw7oZM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 10, 2023

Ace Townsend is the biggest player on campus.

The sexy new quarterback on the football team.

I should probably mention he’s also a complete flirt. The life of the party wherever he goes.

Someone I should avoid at all costs.

It’s difficult though, when I’m on the social media crew for the football team and we’re out on the field during practice almost every day, filming them. On the sidelines at games. Hanging out with them at bars. The more I spend time with Ace, the more I’m drawn to him. The attraction is there, but it’s more than that. I actually like him. We have a connection, and he definitely feels it too.The problem?

I signed a contract when I started on the social media team with a ‘no dating athletes’ clause. They’re strictly off limits. If we get caught together? It’s cause for my immediate termination. I love my new job and don’t want to risk it, but I’m falling for Ace.

Hard.

We’re all for sneaking around and keeping our growing relationship secret, but it’s starting to wear on us. Ace is determined to win me at all costs, though he doesn’t want to be the reason I lose my job, but…

Maybe the two of us being together is worth the risk.

••••

REVIEW:PLAYING TO WIN is the third instalment in Monica Murphy’s contemporary, new adult THE PLAYERS erotic, college football romance series, set in the author’s ONE WEEK GIRLFRIEND world. This is quarterback Ace Townsend, and Ruby Maguire’s story line. PLAYING TO WIN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Ruby is the sister of Knox Maguire (Playing Hard to Get #1), and the daughter of Owen and Chelsea Maguire.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ace and Ruby) PLAYING TO WIN follows the forbidden romance and relationship between quarterback Ace Townsend and social media member Ruby Maguire. Ace and Ruby meant several months earlier but Ace’s behavior left Ruby struggling with betrayal and rejection. Fast forward to the new school year, Ace is the new college first string quarterback, and Ruby has been hired by the social media crew but there is a strict policy in place regarding romantic relationships between between the crew and the sports teams, and Ruby and Ace are about to push the limits of school policy. What ensues is the building relationship between Ruby and Ace, and the fall-out when their relationship is discovered by the people in charge.

The world building continues to focus on the second generation; the children of the original One Week Girlfriend characters. As Owen and Chelsea’s children pave their way through college and onto the professional circuit, love and relationships begin to interfere, and push the proverbial envelope between friendships and love.

The relationship between Ace and Ruby is one of the forbidden. Due to a previous incident, there is a contract set in place prohibiting any member of the social media crew to become romantically involved with any member of the college sports teams but the attraction between Ace and Ruby cannot be denied, and our couple struggle to keep their relationship secret in the face of a potential threat to them both. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate.

Most of the previous story line couples make cameo appearances, as well as the return of Owen and Chelsea, Drew and Fable (One Week Girlfriend) . Another marriage proposal and wedding are in the future; Ruby is willing to sacrifice for the love of her man.

PLAYING TO WIN is a story of rules and regulations, family and friendships, love and understanding. The fast paced and character driven premise is enticing and entertaining; the romance is seductive ; the characters are determined and dynamic.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Playing Hard to Get
Playing by the Rules

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

FOLLOW: Goodreads/ Website/ Facebook/ Twitter / Newsletter Sign Up

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I’LL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU (Lancaster Prep 4) by Monica Murphy-review

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I’LL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU (Lancaster Prep 4) by Monica Murphy

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 18,2023

Weston Fontaine is the hottest senior at Lancaster Prep.
And he knows it.
He’s gorgeous. Confident. Smart.

Too smart.
Everyone loves him. He could have any girl on campus, except for one.
Me.
I’m a Lancaster, meaning I’m basically untouchable–or so I thought. It’s my family who owns this God forsaken private school that I don’t want to attend. But according to my parents, I have to endure my senior year at Lancaster Prep before I can return to what I love the most: ballet.
West doesn’t make my time here easy. He’s arrogant. Crude. Insufferable. He torments me in the worst way, to the point that I can’t stand him. Yet he’s the only boy I’ve ever let touch me…
You see, West and I? We share a secret. On a hot summer night in Paris, we hooked up. And I never do that. Ever. I revealed parts of myself to him I’ve never shown anyone else. He’s seen me at my most vulnerable. I told him my secrets. And he told me his. In Paris, he was sexy. Protective. Even dare I say…sweet.
Now he’s the villain in my story, yet I can’t help but chase after that feeling only West can give me. Despite our hatred for each other, we somehow burn brighter when we’re together. So what happens when you helplessly fall for the one person you know is bad for you?
If you’re like me, you go ahead and fall for him anyway.

••••••

REVIEW: I’LL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU is the fourth instalment in Monica Murphy’s contemporary, young adult to new adult LANCASTER PREP erotic, romance series. This is Fontaine Champagne heir Weston Fontaine, and dancer Carolina Lancaster’s story line. I’LL ALWAYS BE WITH you can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion I recommend reading the series in order. Some of the events of book three PROMISES WE MEANT TO KEEP cross over with, and run parallel to the events of I’LL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Caroline and West) I’LL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU covers a few years in the life of Fontaine Champagne heir Weston Fontaine, and dancer Carolina Lancaster. At the ages of seventeen Carolina Lancaster, and Weston Fontaine met in Europe while Weston was on vacation, and Carolina was attending a prestigious dance school in London. One night together ended with Carolina expelled, and the resulting fallout found Carolina attending the family owned Lancaster Prep school in America, where she will come face to face with the young man that will break her heart. Weston Fontaine is part of the popular crowd at Lancaster Prep, and believing Carolina had lied, bullied our heroine along with several others in the popular crowd but Weston struggled to stay away from the young woman that called to his heart, and continued their relationship in secret but all was not well behind the scenes are their extended families were battling with illness and disease, and as such Weston would be called home, leaving a heart broken Carolina in the wake. Two years will pass before Carolina will once again face down with our story line hero, two years in which she will discover the truth, a truth Weston struggled to reveal. What ensues is the rebuilding romance and relationship between West and Carolina, and the potential fall-out as issues of family threaten any chance at a happily ever after.

The relationship between Weston and Carolina begins as a weekend summer fling where neither one expected anything more. Meeting at Lancaster Prep left each with issues of trust, secrets and lies in which struggles, illness and a lack of communication threaten any attempt at their own happily ever after. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative but I dislike the use of a certain four-letter word in my romance story lines.

The secondary and supporting characters include Carolina’s parents, her sister Sylvie (Promises We Meant to Keep), and brother Whit (Things I Wanted to Say but Never Did #1), friend Sadie Swanson; Whit’s parents; and friends Brent and TJ, as well as the requisite mean girls, and questionable actions.

I’LL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU is a story of secrets and lies, miscommunication and misunderstanding; mental illness; family, friendships, relationships and love. The premise is heart breaking and emotional; the romance is seductive; the characters are young, desperate and determined.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Things I Wanted To Say
A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime
Birthday Kisses 2.5
Promises WE Meant to Keep

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

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