Patches of Red ~ New Release by Liz Flaherty

Hi! 

I'm Liz Flaherty, the new kid at Sweet Romance Reads. I won't be blogging until June 6, but since I had a new release yesterday, I thought I'd introduce myself--and Ellie Wentz--a little early. 

I've written romance for a very long time. My books now lean hard into being women's fiction, but the truth is there's always a love story in there, too. A romantic one, I mean, and other kinds of love, too. The family, friends, memories, joys kinds.

Patches of Red, my new release, is Book 2 in Colors, the Harper Loch Trilogy. It's about second chances, starting over, and community. While it's a standalone, Book 1, Pieces of Blue, is a 99-cent download for a few weeks if you want to get a look at it first. Either way, I hope you enjoy visiting the little lake in Michigan, and I'll see you on the 6th!

Patches of Red

He’s handsome but couldn’t even remember her name. She’s pretty, but her finickiness drives him crazy. And yet … 

After twenty years as a nurse practitioner in the same practice, Ellie Wentz gives notice. When office politics interferes with her job, it’s time to get a new one. When her son and daughter-in-law buy her house and she has sold and given away everything else that’s not attached to her heartstrings, she packs up what remains and goes to Harper Loch to spend time with her best friend. She’ll decide what to do and where to go from there. No matter how much the handsome friend of her friends annoys her.

Jesse Grant comes to Harper Loch to help out his niece for a few weeks. He’s retired from the navy, his boys are grown, and he’s at loose ends. But he really likes the little lake community in Michigan—he thinks he might stay. Long widowed, he has no interest in getting married again, and neither does the redhead he can’t seem to avoid. And yet … again. 

Buy links:

Amazon: https://a.co/d/09fZR7nt

D2D: https://books2read.com/u/mZ98YJ

Excerpt:

She found Mom’s wedding ring right away, too. It wasn’t the diamond circlet Dad had given her for an anniversary … maybe the twenty-fifth … but the slim white gold band they’d started with. Ellie slipped it onto her little finger—her hands resembled her dad’s more than her mom’s—and sat and looked at it. She had the diamond one, too, but this one somehow meant more. This was the one bought by the young, hopeful lovers, not the successful real estate team they’d become.

She sorted out the sapphires—Mom would want Maggie, who loved blue, to have them—and set aside the others. Selena and Jan and their daughters would have a good time making their choices.

A few aprons were neatly folded in the tote. Delighted, Ellie got up and put one of them on. Like her mother, she always wore an apron in the kitchen. Neither of them had ever been the best cooks in any group of two or more, but Mom had been the sloppiest and Ellie the tidiest—which explained the aprons, although Ellie seldom needed hers.

At the bottom of the tote was a folder. She recognized it as one from the real estate office, one of her dad’s. All the partners had specific colors. The tabs would have clients’ last names on them, addresses of listings, or occasionally something cryptic.

Something like the name Declan.

Where had she heard that?

She lifted the folder out. It was heavy, full enough that she was surprised the contents hadn’t been divided into more than one receptacle.

In the background, Jimmy Stewart’s voice hoarsened in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Soon the corrupt senator portrayed by Claude Rains would speak out against him on the senate floor and the betrayal would nearly break young Jefferson Smith, the character played by Stewart. It was her favorite part of the movie. It had been Mom’s, too. They used to watch it sitting together on the couch with popcorn. Dad waved off their sentimentality, but he watched it, too. Or maybe watched Mom watching it. They were attached at the hip.

Weren’t they?

Lyn Asks Do You Like a Discount?

 A Life for Verity

Book 1 “More Women of Courage” series

I have another new book coming out June 10th and it's discounted if you pre-order it!

 A courageous widow, a wary Union veteran, and a dangerous mission in the aftermath of the Civil War…

Verity Hardy lives up to her name—true, steadfast, and unafraid. Raised in a Quaker family who risked everything to aid runaway slaves, she once stepped outside her faith to marry. Now widowed by the Civil War, she is determined to help rebuild a broken nation.

Matthew Ritter, a Union veteran returns to his Rebel hometown. After four years of war and a crushing defeat, his town is poor, humiliated, and angry and will not bend. But Verity believes reconciliation is possible, but he knows that hope may come at a deadly cost. How far will he have to go to keep Verity—and her little girl—alive?

Can a love born amidst conflict survive a town determined to tear them apart?

This  is A LIFE FOR VERITY, Book One in the sequel series, “More Women of Courage” to Lyn Cote’s “Three Women of Courage”—featuring another determined, courageous heroine.

Click here to pre-order for $2.99. After June 10^th, the price will rise to $4.99.

Spring in the Northwoods. 

The fawns are out with their moms!--Lyn

New Release From Laura Scott

 

Good morning from Laura Scott!

June is almost here and with the warmer weather comes relaxing time outdoors. Or in my case, spending time in my sunroom. As someone who has had several basal cell skin cancer spots removed from my body, I am often compared to a vampire, hiding away from the direct sunlight. It's not that I don't like the sun, but I'd rather not have any more scars added to my face. 

For me, the lazy days of summer are best spent reading. Or listening if you're into audiobooks (which I love!) And there's nothing better than spending time with a new series. 

Have you tried my new Grayson's Guardians series? The third book, Deadly Secrets is available on June 2nd. Don't wait to get your copy now.

Deadly Secrets $3.99

A dangerous partnership...

Former Army soldier, Di Milbrath is determined to keep the troubled secrets of her past buried deep. And that means avoiding law enforcement. Yet when she's targeted by gunfire, Di is forced into a dangerous partnership with a former army soldier turned detective, Jarek Brooks.

Jarek knows Di is holding information back, but is determined to protect her anyway. Even when he becomes a target too. When their former animosity fades, he realizes there's a lot to admire about Di. But she won't let him get too close. Until her past secrets erupt to the surface. Now he just needs to keep her alive long enough to have a future. 

Amazon B&N Apple GooglePlay Kobo Audible Chirp

The Clock Is Ticking: Second-Season Jitters and the Heart of Regency Romance

If you've ever fallen in love with a Regency romance novel, you've probably cheered for a heroine racing against the social clock. But what exactly was that clock—and why did it matter so much?

During England's Regency era (1811–1820), upper-class families descended on London each spring for “the Season,” a glittering parade of balls, concerts, dinner parties, and carefully choreographed social events.

For a young woman making her debut, it was exciting, terrifying, and loaded with expectation. The unspoken goal was to capture find a husband before summer arrived and everyone retreated to the countryside.

Most girls entered society between the ages of seventeen and nineteen. They'd be formally presented at court, then escorted to event after event by a watchful mother or chaperone. A ball wasn't just an evening of dancing—it was an audition. A gentleman requesting a dance was one of the few socially acceptable ways for a young couple to actually speak to each other.

And if the Season ended without an engagement? Back home she went—and back to London the following year.

Here's where it gets interesting for those of us who love romance fiction.

The second Season carried a quiet, particular pressure that the first Season didn't. A young woman returning for another year knew that a fresh crop of bright-eyed debutantes was entering the ballrooms for the very first time. She was still young—perhaps barely twenty—yet she might feel positively ancient by comparison. Mothers fretted. Aunts offered unsolicited opinions. And the young woman herself often wondered what she had done wrong, or whether she would ever find the right match.

That tension—the fear of falling short, the pressure to perform, the longing to simply be seen and known rather than evaluated—is exactly the kind of emotional terrain that makes for a wonderful romance story.

Because society's expectations never accounted for the fact that the right love story rarely arrives on schedule.

Many real women married in their second or third Seasons, or not at all, and lived full and meaningful lives. But for our heroines, the second Season is the perfect storm—just enough disappointment to make her guard her heart, just enough hope to keep her searching, and just enough social pressure to push her into exactly the situation she’s been trying to avoid.

That's where the sparks fly.

My own Regency heroine, Lissa Gardinier, arrives in London for her second Season having learned her lesson—blend in, stay quiet, and don't attract the wrong kind of attention. Of course, the best-laid plans have a way of unraveling, especially when an intriguing stranger suddenly makes that very difficult.

When reading Regency romances, the second-Season dilemma is one of those timeless setups that never gets old. The stakes are real, the emotions run deep, and love, when it finally arrives, means that much more.

If you enjoy Regency romance with adventure and a dash of humor, you can receive my novella Lissa and the Spy free when you join my newsletter.

Lissa and the Spy

A Regency Romantic Suspense Novella

In her quest for a marriage of convenience, plain and unpopular Lissa finds herself entangled with the enigmatic Lord Jeremy Stoude, who has a secret mission for the Crown. As danger stalks them, they must navigate a labyrinth of society’s expectations and their own insecurities to find love.

Click here to get Lissa and the Spy

Small Towns, Big Connections by Merri Maywether

There is a truism in Montana. Don’t talk poorly about someone because you could be talking to their cousin, aunt, sibling… It all comes out at weddings, community celebrations, and funerals.

It took me a while, but I realized I could recreate that feeling in my books—not by making everyone cousins, but by letting characters in one story share another character’s experience. Often, one person’s celebration becomes someone else’s fresh start. One family’s moment ripples into another person’s happily-ever-after.

After writing five series, I have lots of friends and family connections. I’d hinted at them in earlier stories. Now, I’m writing a series of shorts to intentionally show those connections while adding a few new faces to the community.

In Home for Good, Brock and Katie reconnect at their all-school reunion.

Well… in our small town, we have an all-school reunion every five years.

So that means… It’s reunion time again. 🎉

This time, the reunion isn’t just a backdrop—it’s where everything begins.

Because in these stories, every romance starts with a single spark:

One dance.
One chance.
One kiss.
One holiday that changes everything.

A reunion sets things in motion.

A misunderstanding tests what’s worth fighting for.

A friend’s heartbreak sparks something unexpected.

And a quiet woman—who has a gift for asking just the right questions—finally meets the man who needs her most… even if neither of them knows it yet.

These are complete love stories, each centered around one life-changing moment—the kind that quietly shifts everything. The kind that turns “that would never happen to me” into “maybe… just maybe.”

They’re short reads meant to be enjoyed in one cozy sitting.

Recently, life handed me a reminder that reading seasons change. Because of some health challenges, I found myself reaching for shorter stories. I still wanted the emotional experience—the hope, the laughter, and the happily ever after—but some days I needed it in smaller bites.

That realization changed the way I thought about these stories.

They may be shorter, but they’re not easier. In a novel, I might write two chapters in a day. In these stories, sometimes I write half a chapter because every moment has to carry more weight.

Writing shorter stories also changed the way I approach relationships. In a longer novel, love has room to wander. Characters can take scenic routes. In these stories, every conversation, every misunderstanding, every shared moment has to matter because the relationship is built in those little exchanges.

Maybe that’s why they feel so much like real life. Sometimes all it takes is one dance, one reunion, or one conversation to change everything.

And I’m okay with that effort because I know there are readers like me—people who want a complete, heartwarming experience but only have one cozy sitting to enjoy it.

The first story, One More Dance, launched on May 5th. The next story, One More Chance, arrives four weeks later.

Because these stories are all about connection, I’d love to hear what moment from Rachel and Mark’s story stayed with you after you finished reading. 💛

Still Celebrating Mother's Day by Merrillee Whren

 

In the USA, Mother's Day was this past Sunday. Since we don't live close to our daughters, who live on the east coast while we live in the Arizona desert, nearly a continent away, our celebration was very low key. We went to church, then out to Mod Pizza for lunch. Nothing fancy for us. My only wish for Mother's Day is not to cook. Cooking is one of my least favorite activities. 

So how are we going to keep celebrating Mother's Day. I'm going to give away books that feature mothers. Here are some of my books that have single mothers. 

This next book is about Beth's teenage son all grown up. So you get to meet Beth again in her son's story.

 Next we have the story of a single mom who is taking care of her young daughter.

Next up we have the story of a widow with two rambunctious sons.

When the prospect of motherhood isn't what she wanted, Kelsey Reynolds has big decisions to make.

And finally a novella about an adoptive mother.

If you would like one of these books, you can email me using the contact information on my website. Just click the link and request a book. I will send you a link where you can pick up your ebook.

Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of American. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of forty-plus years, and has two grown daughters. Connect with her on her Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.

Lyn Cote Offers a Free Ebook Ends May 14th!!

Heartwarming Wholesome Romance-HANNAH’S HOMETOWN HERO~

Can a shy girl find her moxie and win her hometown hero?  Or “let” him win her?

After a broken engagement, food blogger Hannah is determined to be a new, improved version of herself — and she’s starting with helping her parents get settled in their new town. As she becomes captivated with builder Guthrie, can they both open their hearts to love again?

Here’s a glimpse:

“Guthrie couldn’t speak.

Reaching over, he pulled Hannah to him. He just wanted to comfort her. But the feeling of her softness in his arms went to his head. He kissed her hair, fragrant of spices, then her eyebrows. Her eyes closed. He kissed her eyelids, first one, then the other. Petal soft. Such softness brought feelings, emotions bubbling up from deep inside him.

Tilting up her chin, Hannah smoothed back his golden hair, then rested her hand on his chest.

A warmth, healing and vital, flowed through him like a cleansing prayer. ‘Hannah, you’re a wonderful woman. You make me believe…’ Maybe he might get a second chance, after all.”

Don’t miss this heartwarming story of love, faith and the power of forgiveness.

BTW, you don’t want to miss Guthrie’s eccentric great aunts—Patsy and Penny—a hoot and a half!

Click here more info.