My Summer Reading Wrap-Up & My Book Is Turned In!

Hi y’all! Long time, no blog. I know it’s been a while because I was in the deadline cave, but I’m happy to report that I FINALLY turned in my book! This will be book one in a new contemporary romance series that I’m very excited about. I’ll share more details when I can. Also, I have a new online romance writing class open! (See the bottom of this post for the details or click the link.)

Now on to the real reason why we’re here—books. Since it’s the first day of fall (not that it feels like it in Dallas with our 96 degree high today—UGH), I thought it’d be a good time to share some of what I’ve been reading the second half of the summer. (If you want to see my first half of summer list, go here.) Because even though I was in the deadline cave, I was still reading. If I stop reading, I stop writing. I’m also happy to report that I’ve already completed my Goodreads annual challenge of reading 60 books! I get a thrill every year when I hit that number. I blame Pizza Hut’s Book It program when I was a kid. I love counting up how many books I’ve read and hitting some goal. #nerd

So, what have I been reading? Let’s dive in.

Sweetest Romance

The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg (Btw, the hardback is currently on sale for $7.99, which is 3 bucks cheaper than the Kindle version.)

I thought this was a perfect summer read. A funny and sweet romance set in the world of food trucks. The characters were great and felt real. I also liked the fact that it was set in Arizona. I realized I haven’t read a lot of books set in that part of the west. My only complaint was that romance-loving me wanted an epilogue at the end to see a little more of these characters and their romance.

About the book:

Max: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever.

Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and the Chandler Mall. Never been kissed and searching for Mr. Right, who probably won't like him anyway. And a secret: A spiraling out of control mother, and the knowledge that he's the only one who can keep the family from falling apart.

Throw in a rickety, 1980s-era food truck called Coq Au Vinny. Add in prickly pears, cloud eggs, and a murky idea of what's considered locally sourced and organic. Place it all in Mesa, Arizona, in June, where the temp regularly hits 114. And top it off with a touch of undeniable chemistry between utter opposites.

Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they're willing to risk -- to get the thing they want the most.

Steamiest Romance

Misadventures with a Professor by Sierra Simone

Everyone had been telling me to try Sierra Simone, and I just hadn’t gotten to one of her books yet. I’m so glad I finally did! This one was well-written and hawt. Plus, some of her metaphors made me envious (nerdy writer moments brought to you by Roni.) I promptly went out and bought more of her books.

About the book:

Zandy Lynch never planned on going to grad school a virgin. So when her professor father finds her a job abroad as a research assistant the summer before she starts her master’s program, she sees her chance. She’s got one night in London to lose her V-card to a Mr. Darcy lookalike before she has to join some ancient professor in the country.

Oliver Graeme is not looking forward to having some American co-ed hovering around while he’s trying to work, but he owes her father the favor, and besides, his office is an untidy mess of uncatalogued research. He needs the help. Still, he decides to take the edge off his frustration while visiting a colleague in London, and winds up having the sexiest, sweetest night of his life with a stranger, who vanishes in the morning without a trace…

To Zandy’s shock when she arrives at Professor Graeme’s house a day later, the door isn’t opened by a fussy old scholar, but by the wild, passionate man she met in London. Cold and reserved by day, Oliver is ferociously greedy with her at night, and it’s not long before Zandy finds herself falling for both versions of him―the aloof professor and the generous, rough lover. The trouble is that summer only lasts so long, and Zandy already has a plane ticket waiting to take her home…

Creepiest Mindf**k

Verity by Colleen Hoover

This one was super dark and quite the mindf**k, so of course I loved it, lol. It had a gothic feel (big house, invalid wife, spooky kid) and was legitimately creepy. It also kept me guessing. I was rooting for it not to be a certain type of trope that I really dislike and it wasn’t. Hurrah! It kept me guessing until the end. I have a feeling this is the kind of book someone will either love or hate. I fell on the love side.

About the book:

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night their family was forever altered.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

Best for a Mental Reboot

Who is not in need of a mental reboot? I have two picks in this category. The first is a short little read but backed with great nuggets.

In Praise of Wasting Time by Alan Lightman

About the book:

In this timely and essential book that offers a fresh take on the qualms of modern day life, Professor Alan Lightman investigates the creativity born from allowing our minds to freely roam, without attempting to accomplish anything and without any assigned tasks.

We are all worried about wasting time. Especially in the West, we have created a frenzied lifestyle in which the twenty-­four hours of each day are carved up, dissected, and reduced down to ten minute units of efficiency. We take our iPhones and laptops with us on vacation. We check email at restaurants or our brokerage accounts while walking in the park. When the school day ends, our children are overloaded with “extras.” Our university curricula are so crammed our young people don’t have time to reflect on the material they are supposed to be learning. Yet in the face of our time-driven existence, a great deal of evidence suggests there is great value in “wasting time,” of letting the mind lie fallow for some periods, of letting minutes and even hours go by without scheduled activities or intended tasks.

Gustav Mahler routinely took three or four-­hour walks after lunch, stopping to jot down ideas in his notebook. Carl Jung did his most creative thinking and writing when he visited his country house. In his 1949 autobiography, Albert Einstein described how his thinking involved letting his mind roam over many possibilities and making connections between concepts that were previously unconnected. With In Praise of Wasting Time, Professor Alan Lightman documents the rush and heave of the modern world, suggests the technological and cultural origins of our time-­driven lives, and examines the many values of “wasting time”—for replenishing the mind, for creative thought, and for finding and solidifying the inner self. Break free from the idea that we must not waste a single second, and discover how sometimes the best thing to do is to do nothing at all.

Slow by Brooke McAlary

The second pick is a more comprehensive look at how to slow down, declutter, and it leans toward the minimalism philosophy. Some minimalist books can be extreme, but I found this one to be a practical and doable approach.

About the book:

What is slow living? It's a way to find happiness by stepping away from the never-ending demands to constantly succeed and acquire more and more. It's easy to get stuck in the carousel of frantically wanting, buying, and upgrading the things in your life. The philosophy of simple living is about finding the freedom to be less perfect and taking time to enjoy the pure joys of life: a walk in the forest, sharing laughter with family, a personal moment of gratitude. Reconnecting with the living world can help you integrate moments of peace, joy, and mindfulness into an otherwise rapid life.

Simple living: After being diagnosed with post-natal depression, Brooke McAlary learned about the power of minimalism and found that the key to happiness was a simpler, more fulfilling existence. She put the brakes on her stressful path and reorganized her life to live outside the status-quo, emphasizing depth, connection, and meaningful experiences. Brooke shares the story of her journey alongside practical advice for simplifying in ways that work for your life.

Most Compelling on Audio

Evil Has a Name by Paul Holes & Jim Clemente

This was a 6-hour audiobook that I listened to in one day (things you can do when you finally turn in your overdue manuscript.) I found this super compelling and well-told. Now, a caveat: I read I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara already, so this paired well with that. I don’t know if it would have had the same resonance had I not read the other book first. Because in McNamara’s book, you get to meet Paul Holes (the cop/investigator and narrator of this book) through her eyes. Then, in this audiobook, he talks about meeting her. So if you haven’t read, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and you can handle reading true crime, I highly recommend it. Here’s my original review of that one. Both together paint a really full picture. Also, note the trigger warnings at the bottom of the description.

About the book:

The Golden State Killer. The East Area Rapist. The Original Night Stalker. The Visalia Ransacker.

The monster who preyed on Californians from 1976 to 1986 was known by many aliases. And while numerous police sketches tried to capture his often-masked visage, the Golden State Killer spent more than 40 years not only faceless, but nameless.

For his victims, for their families and for the investigators tasked with finding him, the senselessness and brutality of the Golden State Killer's acts were matched only by the powerlessness they felt at failing to uncover his identity. To be sure, the chances of obtaining closure - or any form of justice - after so many years were slim to none, at best.

Then, on April 24, 2018, authorities arrested 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo at his home in Citrus Heights, Calif., based on DNA evidence linked to the crimes. Amazingly, it seemed, evil finally had a name.

Delivering all-new details about the investigation and a stunning final act to the events of Michelle McNamara's haunting best seller, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, this is the true story of how the suspected Golden State Killer was captured, as told, first-hand, by those closest to the case:

Paul Holes - the forensic criminologist and retired Costa County detective who spent 20 years trying to crack the Golden State Killer case, and finally did.

Jim Clemente (Host) - a retired FBI profiler and former New York City prosecutor who has investigated some of the highest profile criminal cases in U.S. history, including The Unabomber.

Please note: This work contains descriptions of violent crime and sexual assault and may not be suitable for all listeners.

So, as you can see, it’s been a great summer of reading! I can’t wait to see what the fall brings.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve read this summer?

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NEW ROMANCE WRITING CLASS OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT + A COUPON CODE!

Fellow writers or aspiring writers, my 8-week Rock That Romance Novel Online Beginner class is officially open for enrollment! Class size is limited so sign up soon. Classes start mid-October but can be self-paced if you need them to be. Get all the info here. Use code: FALL25 for $25 off!

My Favorite Summer Reads of 2019 So Far

Happy July! How’s your summer reading going? Is the pile getting any shorter or is it just growing as you add more books to it?

I’ve been reading like a maniac. This tends to happen when I’m in drafting mode for a book. After I dump all those words onto the page every day, I need my brain refilled with other people’s stories. I read 11 books in June, which is a high count for me, and I’m happy to report that there were some great ones in the mix.

So, I thought it’d be a good time to recommend my favorite summer reads so far. Also, if you like hearing my book recommendations, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter, which is usually filled with my favorite book recs.

Most Fun to Read

Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I read all kind of books in the summer, so I don’t stick to only “breezy” books for summer, but if there was ever a perfect poolside read, it was this one. So funny and sweet and sexy. I gobbled this one up on my beach vacation and was left with a big smile on my face.

About the book:

A big-hearted romantic comedy in which First Son Alex falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends...

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.

The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

Most Clever Read

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

I mentioned this one in my last post, but this is a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling. The way the author worked in so many elements of P&P in a completely different set up was so smart and fun. I loved catching all the little references back to the original but loved that I also got a completely fresh story.

About the book:

This version of the Bennet family and Mr. Darcy is one that you have and haven't met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray.

Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and Paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master's degree and barely leaves her room, except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won't discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane's fortieth birthday fast approaches.

Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip's friend, neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy, reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming. . . . And yet, first impressions can be deceiving.

Best Audiobook for a Nostalgic Summer Road Trip

Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen by Brian Raftery

If you are of my generation or near it, this will be such a fun listen. I was 19 in 1999 and so going back in time and hearing about all the great movies that came out that year wasn’t just a fun nostalgic trip, it was also fascinating. There was so much interesting backstory on each of the movies featured, and it made me want to watch the ones I hadn’t seen and rewatch the ones I had. Be prepared to greatly expand your movie streaming watchlist. Also, I’m sure this reads well in print too, but the audio was fantastic.

About the book:

From a veteran culture writer and modern movie expert, a celebration and analysis of the movies of 1999—arguably the most groundbreaking year in American cinematic history.

In 1999, Hollywood as we know it exploded: Fight Club. The Matrix. Office Space. Election. The Blair Witch Project. The Sixth Sense. Being John Malkovich. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. American Beauty. The Virgin Suicides. Boys Don’t Cry. The Best Man. Three Kings. Magnolia. Those are just some of the landmark titles released in a dizzying movie year, one in which a group of daring filmmakers and performers pushed cinema to new limits—and took audiences along for the ride. Freed from the restraints of budget, technology (or even taste), they produced a slew of classics that took on every topic imaginable, from sex to violence to the end of the world. The result was a highly unruly, deeply influential set of films that would not only change filmmaking, but also give us our first glimpse of the coming twenty-first century. It was a watershed moment that also produced The Sopranos; Apple’s Airport; Wi-Fi; and Netflix’s unlimited DVD rentals.

Best. Movie. Year. Ever. is the story of not just how these movies were made, but how they re-made our own vision of the world. It features more than 130 new and exclusive interviews with such directors and actors as Reese Witherspoon, Edward Norton, Steven Soderbergh, Sofia Coppola, David Fincher, Nia Long, Matthew Broderick, Taye Diggs, M. Night Shyamalan, David O. Russell, James Van Der Beek, Kirsten Dunst, the Blair Witch kids, the Office Space dudes, the guy who played Jar-Jar Binks, and dozens more. It’s the definitive account of a culture-conquering movie year none of us saw coming…and that we may never see again.

Most Life-Affirming and Thought-Provoking

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb

As some of you know, I was a social worker/therapist before I left to be a full-time writer, so I’m already a psychology nerd. But this book was so much more than a look at psychology. Gottlieb is an experienced writer and storyteller, so what could’ve been dry was a rich and heartfelt page-turner. I got attached to the clients she featured and was invested in her own story as well. I have so many underlined passages in this one, and it made me think deeply about big life issues like mid-life crises and how to deal with fear of death and so much else. This one is sad at parts but ultimately uplifting and life-affirming. I want to put this book in everyone’s hands.

About the book:

From a New York Times best-selling author, psychotherapist, and national advice columnist, a hilarious, thought-provoking, and surprising new book that takes us behind the scenes of a therapist's world--where her patients are looking for answers (and so is she).

One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.

As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients' lives -- a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can't stop hooking up with the wrong guys -- she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing to Wendell.

With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is revolutionary in its candor, offering a deeply personal yet universal tour of our hearts and minds and providing the rarest of gifts: a boldly revealing portrait of what it means to be human, and a disarmingly funny and illuminating account of our own mysterious lives and our power to transform them.

Best Sure Thing

An Offer From a Gentleman and Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Julia Quinn is one of those authors I can go to when I need a sure thing, when I don’t want to risk starting a book that might let me down. Her books are always fun, romantic, and bingeable. I know when I pick one up that I won’t be able to put it down until I’m done. And after I read these two, I heard that The Bridgertons series is going to become a TV show via Netflix and Shonda Rimes. SO. EXCITED. I can’t wait to continue on with the series.

About the book:

Will she accept his offer before the clock strikes midnight?

Sophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball—or that "Prince Charming" would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.

Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other—except, perhaps this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid's garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?

Best Advice That Most of Us Need to Hear

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski

I think the title says everything you need to know. Great advice on how to relieve stress and deal with burnout.

About the book:

This groundbreaking book explains why women experience burnout differently than men—and provides a simple, science-based plan to help women minimize stress, manage emotions, and live a more joyful life.

Burnout. Many women in America have experienced it. What’s expected of women and what it’s really like to be a woman in today’s world are two very different things—and women exhaust themselves trying to close the gap between them. How can you “love your body” when every magazine cover has ten diet tips for becoming “your best self”? How do you “lean in” at work when you’re already operating at 110 percent and aren’t recognized for it? How can you live happily and healthily in a sexist world that is constantly telling you you’re too fat, too needy, too noisy, and too selfish?

Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, are here to help end the cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Instead of asking us to ignore the very real obstacles and societal pressures that stand between women and well-being, they explain with compassion and optimism what we’re up against—and show us how to fight back. In these pages you’ll learn

• what you can do to complete the biological stress cycle—and return your body to a state of relaxation
• how to manage the “monitor” in your brain that regulates the emotion of frustration
• how the Bikini Industrial Complex makes it difficult for women to love their bodies—and how to defend yourself against it
• why rest, human connection, and befriending your inner critic are keys to recovering and preventing burnout

With the help of eye-opening science, prescriptive advice, and helpful worksheets and exercises, all women will find something transformative in these pages—and will be empowered to create positive change. Emily and Amelia aren’t here to preach the broad platitudes of expensive self-care or insist that we strive for the impossible goal of “having it all.” Instead, they tell us that we are enough, just as we are—and that wellness, true wellness, is within our reach.

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WRITING WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT

Fellow writers, my How to Write Love Scenes That Readers Won’t Skip class is now open for enrollment! Spaces are limited, so grab a spot if you’re interested. Click the link or the pic for more details.

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What’s been your favorite summer read so far this year?

Romance Author Confession: I Had Never Read Pride & Prejudice (Until Now)

In the romance world, there are a few novels that are referred to as seminal works in the genre, but none are talked about more than Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. There are endless retellings and riffs on the tale, there are “sequels” (from sweet to the erotic), and there are debates about which movie/tv version is best (the BBC miniseries with Colin Firth is the winner here usually.) Mr. Darcy has become a romance character archetype that pops up again and again.

I’ve been writing in the romance genre for over a decade now and have been a reader for longer than that. Plus, I love modern historical romances. Pride and Prejudice should’ve been part of my reader life. However, though it’s been on my shelf for a long time, up until two weeks ago, I’d never read it. I’d seen the BBC miniseries and loved it, so I knew the story. But I’d never actually read the book.

Why?

I think what it comes down to is that I was scared I would’t be able to get into a classic, that it would be slow or hard to follow or dull. See, I took honors English classes in high school and some additional literature courses in college, and I was scared off from classics because what I had to read a) I wasn’t ready for or B) was utterly bleak and depressing. I remember long nights of slogging through Of Human Bondage, Beowulf, Great Expectations and Canterbury Tales. It made me dread the classics. There were a few exceptions. I enjoyed Shakespeare and more modern classics like 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, but overall, I was completely turned off from classic literature. So when I dropped my English major freshman year (I had double-major in English and Psychology), I vowed only to read what I wanted to read going forward, not what I was supposed to read. And so it’s gone for the years since college.

But a few weeks ago, I was scanning my bookshelves for my next book to read and came across a copy of Pride and Prejudice that I had picked up on a whim at a used bookstore years before. Recently, I had seen that a few modern P&P retellings were about to be released and they’d piqued my interest, so I decided I couldn’t read a retelling until I’d read the source material. So, finally, I pulled it off the shelf.

Well, 24 hours later…the 500-page book was done. I devoured it, y’all.

All of my fears about it being slow or hard to understand were unfounded. This book is an absolute page turner, the super short chapters making it nearly impossible to put down. And it was such a fun, romantic, engaging read. I laughed aloud and fell for the romance like so many others have. I’m mad at myself for waiting so long. I promptly went out and bought more of Jane Austen’s books and read a retelling (more on that below.)

So why am I telling you all this? Why am I admitting my romance writer shame? ;) Well, I suspect that I’m not the only one who was scared off from classics by well-meaning high school curriculums. If you’ve suffered a similar readerly “trauma”, then maybe consider giving a book like Pride and Prejudice a chance. I promise it won’t feel like a homework assignment.

And then once you read the original, there’s an endless supply of retellings and re-imaginings out there. As soon as I finished P&P, I went back to my shelves where Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld had been sitting for literal years. I’d ordered it as an add-on through my Book of the Month club membership and then had forgotten about it. I raced through this modern take on P&P as well. It was fun to read them back to back because I could catch all the references to the original since it was so fresh in my mind.

Next up, I have Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin, which was one of the new release retellings that helped me decide to read the original first. I haven’t read this one yet, but I’m looking forward to it!

So, talk to me, how do you feel about the classics? Anyone else traumatized by high school reading assignments? And for those of you who read classics, what other ones should I seek out? Have you read Pride and Prejudice? Do you have a favorite retelling or re-imagining?

COVER REVEAL: The One For You (Kincaid's story!)

Kincaid’s cover is here! I love the emotion in it SO MUCH. When you get to read the story, you’ll see how it fits perfectly. And the hero is just how I picture him (except that he wears glasses) and she could totally be Kincaid.

Here’s a little about the book, but this blurb will probably change. This is just the opening paragraphs of chapter one:

The highly-anticipated fourth book in Roni Loren's unforgettable The Ones Who Got Away series.

Sassy Kincaid Breslin finally gets her happy ending...
Kincaid Breslin was the girl who was supposed to die first in the horror movie. In high school, it had been a running joke among her friends during their annual Halloween marathon of scary movies that she'd be the first character to run, screaming for her life. 

She was the dance team captain. The girl with the superstar boyfriend. The non-virgin. 

But when Kincaid's life had turned into an actual horror movie, she'd somehow managed to get out alive. Most of those friends hadn't. Real life horror didn't follow movie rules.

PRE-ORDER NOW! (releases Dec. 31): Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Apple | Kobo (links coming soon)

***NOTE: There’s currently a glitch on Amazon where it’s showing reviews for book 3 on the page. We’re working on getting it fixed, but this book has no reviews yet because review copies haven’t gone out yet.