REVIEW TOUR: Taylor's Father by Penelope Ward

 

Title: Taylor's Father

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Age Gap (17 Years), Best Guy Friend's Father

Single Dad, Forbidden, Second Chance

Protective Hero, Sassy Heroine

Release Date: February 22, 2026

BLURB

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…

When my best friend Taylor gifted me a vacation at a resort owned by his grandparents, the last thing I expected was to bond with a man seventeen years older.

Tate was also vacationing alone.

He’d come to Midnight Key to clear his head and reevaluate his life.

I’d come to get over my high school sweetheart who’d dumped me.

I’d spotted the brawny, tattooed Adonis in the lobby on the first day and thought he had to be someone’s hot dad.

But then we matched on an app that paired single men and women by proximity.

The problem was? At nineteen—almost twenty—I’d lied and said I was twenty-nine.

Tate outed me on our first date, and I fessed up to my real age.

But we continued to run into each other.

And eventually we found our connection was too magnetic to deny.

While we agreed to only use first names and to part ways at the end of the trip, I’d really fallen for Tate.

I never forgot him and knew he was the one who got away.

Remember that guy friend who gifted me the trip?

Well, four years later, Taylor got married.

He’d been estranged from his dad for years, though recently they’d reconnected.

What I didn’t know was that the man I’d had that torrid affair with at the resort would be standing next to Taylor in the receiving line.

My dream man Tate? Was Taylor’s father.

REVIEW

Reviewer: Heidi

Rating: 5 Groupie Stars

Taylor’s father is the exact genre I want to read daily and to have my favourite author write my favourite genre was a complete dream. Who doesn’t love some taboo, age gap, forbidden love story? As all that was in the story I knew they’d be lots of great angst between the 2 characters. Surprisingly through there was a lot of banter between the characters and all the banter levered out some of the angst and lightens up the story some.
There was so much to say about this book but I loved everything I’ve said above but I also loved the drama and tension. There was push and pull with the characters throughout which was great.
This was a second chance romance and a very entertaining and gripping story

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

PURCHASE LINKS

$3.99 for a limited time!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

FREE to read in Kindle Unlimited

 

ALSO AVAILABLE

 

AUDIO

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

 

A model-cover paperback will be live on release day.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

17-YEAR AGE GAP

BEST GUY FRIEND'S FATHER

SINGLE DAD

FORBIDDEN

SECOND CHANCE

PROTECTIVE HERO

SASSY HEROINE

AUTHOR BIO

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

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RELEASE BLITZ: Trusting Romance by SE Rose

 

TRUSTING ROMANCE

SE Rose

Release Date: February 23

 

 

Jocelyn Hernandez loves romance books, but ever the skeptic, she doesn’t believe that they are anything more than some great fairy tales.

She’s been spending the last year working at a romance bookstore while she finishes her graduate degree. But with her graduation coming up soon, she’s not sure what she’s going to do with her life. She’s been burnt so many times by family, guys she’s dated, and even friends that she isn’t sure who to trust. It doesn’t help that she swears she keeps seeing a man that might be her long lost father. Her head is spinning with indecision, and she feels adrift with no anchor. Can she even trust herself to figure out her next move?

Hutch Cromwell had everything he wanted. He had a perfect girlfriend, his dream career playing football, and an enormous home near his parents’ farm. But when a tractor accident on the farm left him injured, his whole word came crashing down. He’s now living in the city, working in a job that pays his bills, and not trusting women enough to date.

Jocelyn and Hutch have flirted, talked for hours at happy hour, and even given each other hugs during hard times over the last year. But when they end up sharing a guesthouse on a group vacation, their hidden feelings come bubbling to the surface. The only question is: Can these two friends get over their trust issues long enough to give each other a chance at romance?

Preorder Link:

https://books2read.com/u/bwGkoZ

 

 

 

 

REVIEW

Reviewer: Heidi

Rating: 5 Groupie Stars

I’ve been spoilt of late catching up with my book peeps ❣️📚

Everyone needs a little Viking (Hutch) in their life ! He may be a big man but don’t let that fool you his heart is all jello ❣️ hello he’s trying to solve a floral mystery and makes friends with a trash panda and names him/her Clive !!!! How can you not fall in love with him !?!?

Jocelyn love her job at the bookstore and happy hour with Al and the other tenants but they’re more like family really anywho she’s got to write a paper and she’s struggling on what to write and she’s crushing so hard on Hutch so when Hitch takes everyone on holiday she’s both excited and nervous ….

Jocelyn also has dad issues and is convinced she sees him about town and while on holiday in Porto Rica she traces her family and gets to meet people that accept with open arms , it was precious to be part of the family reunion . Everyone jumps on board to help solve the mystery of her dad and I can’t help but be angry with him and sad at the same time such unnecessary heartache that could’ve been avoided

Hitch has family issues as well and restoration of his family is important and again so much heartache that could’ve been avoided so in both cases communication would’ve been key 😉

Hutch and Jocelyn finally cross that line of friends to lovers and man they’re so good together I was cheering from the side and whooping all the way 😍

My heart is full , I’ve caught up with old friends , I laughed ( especially the pool antics ) I cried and just had good time with good folk 🥰📚 

Meet SE Rose:

USA Today & International Bestselling romance author, S.E. Rose lives near Washington D.C. with her family.

When she's not wrangling her cats or keeping up with her kids, she's plotting her next story.

She loves all things wine, coffee, and cats.

In her non-existent free time, she enjoys traveling, going to concerts, binging on her favorite shows, and reading, especially if it's a good mystery or comedy.

 

Keep up with SE Rose and subscribe to her newsletter: https://bookhip.com/LSMKWL

 

To learn more about SE Rose & her books, visit here!

 

Connect with SE Rose:

https://linktr.ee/seroseauthor

 

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RELEASE BLITZ: Sweet Poison by Rachel Van Dyken

 

SWEET POISON

Rachel Van Dyken

Release Date: February 11

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦.

𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳.

𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭…

His breath hit my neck, lips brushing skin.

"𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘵?”

All it took was one phrase—“𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦?”—and I was already losing.

To the enemy.

To a Tinder date gone violently wrong.

To the Syndicate’s most dangerous heir.

It was supposed to be my last middle finger to the establishment before they sacrificed me on the family altar of arranged marriage. So I took control. I made the rules. I chose the husband.

Louis De Lange.

The twin who should’ve died.

The traitor.

The man who lost my sister—his so-called true love.

 He said he had nothing left. So I made him my weapon.

But the problem with controlling a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

You never see the fangs until they’re already at your throat.

The plan was simple. The timeline set. Sixty days to infiltrate, manipulate, and survive.

But I wasn’t banking on Louis being more than broken—I wasn’t ready for how dangerous he could be when he finally decides he’s done bleeding for everyone else but himself.

I was playing to win.

He was playing to lose.

And we were both about to learn…

The sweeter the poison the more bitter the fight. 

To the end. Love. Hell. Or destruction. Let the games begin.

Grab your copy!

https://geni.us/RVDSP

REVIEW

Reviewer: Chelsea

Rating: 5 Groupie Stars

I shouldn’t have expected anything less than my heart feeling like it was put through a blender after I finish a Rachel Van Dyken mafia book. Even knowing this, I was still not fully ready for the way this story went. 

Love, revenge and owning past mistakes are all woven together in this story. We get Tempest and Louis, an unlikely pair. They are both using the other, they have been a part of the mafia world since birth, they know how to get what they need and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.  

It wouldn’t be the mafia without death, and let me tell you, it was BRUTAL to read! This isn’t goodbye, because when somethings come to an end, they open new beginnings. Spoilers would ruin this story, so I’ll end with the following. 

Blood in, no out; As burns this saint, so burns my soul.

Meet Rachel Van Dyken:

Rachel Van Dyken is the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over 100 books ranging from new adult romance to mafia romance to paranormal & fantasy romance. With over four million copies sold, she's been featured in Forbes, US Weekly, and USA Today. Her books have been translated in more than 15 countries. She was one of the first romance authors to have a Kindle in Motion book through Amazon publishing and continues to strive to be on the cutting edge of the reader experience. She keeps her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, adorable sons, naked cat, and two dogs.

Keep up with Rachel Van Dyken and subscribe to her newsletter: https://rachelvandykenauthor.com/newsletter

To learn more about Rachel & her books, visit here!

Connect with Rachel Van Dyken:

http://www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken or join her fan group Rachel's New Rockin Readers https://www.facebook.com/groups/RRRFanClub

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RELEASE BLITZ: People We Avoid By Lani Lynn Vale

 

Title: People We Avoid

Series: Don't Date Him #2

Author: Lani Lynn Vale

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Tropes: Forced Proximity, Secret Identity

Grumpy/Sunshine

Release Date: February 10, 2026

BLURB

All Birdee Calvert wanted was to be normal.

She wanted the parents who didn’t divorce when she was a kid and make her life a living nightmare. She wanted the sisters who actually liked her. She wanted to live in a town where everyone loved her and didn’t have a single bad thing to say about her.

That was not the life Birdee was given.

She had the exact opposite life. The kind of life where she slunk through the grocery store with a hoodie on so no one would recognize her. The kind of life where men like Creed Daugherty didn’t give her a second look.

After years of abuse and heartache, she built walls. Big, huge, thick ones that no one could ever breach. If she didn’t put forth the effort to get to know someone, she couldn’t be hurt.

At least, that was the theory.

She never counted on Creed Daugherty hitting her with his truck. Then, deciding that once he entered her life, he would never leave it.

Though Birdee should’ve known that Creed was too good to be true.

All it takes is one mistake on her part, and Creed freezes her out. Then forces the rest of the town to make it almost impossible for her to live in Sawtooth, Montana, anymore.

Birdee only thought it couldn’t get worse.

But Creed makes sure to show her that it can and will.

The thing about rock bottom?

Once you’re there, you have nothing else to lose.

And Creed Daugherty just made himself enemy number one.

ADD TO GOODREADS

REVIEW

Reviewer:

Rating:

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

UNIVERSAL

ALSO AVAILABLE

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

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COMING SOON

Releasing March 10

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

UNIVERSAL

AUTHOR BIO

Lani Lynn Vale is an American author of humorous romantic suspense novels. Born in the Great State of Texas, she has lived the majority of her adult life in East Texas where most of her novels are based. She’s married to her high school sweetheart whom her readers refer to as “LLV’s Bearded Half.” She published her first novel, Boomtown. in the summer of 2013 after the birth of her third child. She’s gone on to publish over 100 novels, with most of them going on to become USA Today Bestsellers.

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RELEASE BLITZ: His In The Fire by Willow Winters

 

HIS IN THE FIRE

Willow Winters

Release Date: February 3

From USA Today Bestselling Author Willow Winters comes the second part in the sizzling Hades & Persephone Duet.

Ripped away from Olympus to the Underworld was a hell of its own making, but so is returning.
Leaving behind Hades and my rightful place as Queen of the Underworld caused an agony I’ve never known before.

What’s worse is that the war has not come to an end and my place in Olympus is questioned by all because of Hades’ demands. My mother will stop at nothing to have me safe with her and neither will Hades.

I’m left torn between life, Olympus, my mother and the throne I was always meant to have beside my lover, the King of the Dead.
I miss him dearly, I crave his touch and I need the love I felt so strongly in his presence.

What brings me the most fear though, is my own thoughts and my own power. The threat of losing what I had is enough to make me question my sanity. My mother would starve the world for me, Hades would burn it. But myself… What I’m willing to do as the suffering intensifies is blasphemy and terrifies me to my core.
There’s no going back and in this place I must find peace and balance before it’s too late.

I know one thing for certain: after dark, there will always be light. If that wasn’t true, the dark would not have a name…
And I crave both.

Please note: His in the Dark must be read first.

Grab your copy!

https://geni.us/hisinthefire

Meet Willow Winters:

I started writing after having my little girl, Evie, December of 2015. All during my pregnancy with her I read. I only wanted to read romance novels and I read everything I could get my hands on. I would read a book a day — sometimes two. In January I was staying up late with her and just thinking of all these stories. They came to me constantly. I finally sat down and just started writing. I always wanted to do it so I figured, why not?

I never thought I would reach this point of success to be honest. It’s insane to me that I have connected with so many readers.

And I love each and every one of them for all of their support. I’ll be honest, some days are HARD. I have my littles during the day and I write at night. Some days are just simply exhausting and then I hear from a reader and it motivates me to push through and keep writing.  I couldn’t be more grateful for this wonderful career. For more information, visit https://www.willowwinterswrites.com/

Keep up with Willow Winters and receive your FREE copy of one of her books when you subscribe to her newsletter:

https://bit.ly/3KmNQ13

Connect with Willow Winters:

wwinters@willowwinterswrites.com

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RELEASE BLITZ: Intercepted by Aleatha Romig

 

INTERCEPTED

Aleatha Romig

Release Date: February 2

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

In The Coopers, family power meets forbidden passion, and one wrong move can cost you the team… or your heart. Perfect for fans of the ruthless tension of Succession and the dark, aching obsession of Wuthering Heights.
At thirty-six, Fin Graham is a legend, a veteran quarterback, dangerously handsome, and built to win. The field. The season. Me.
I never thought I’d see him again, not after he disappeared and shattered me without a word. But now he’s been traded onto my family’s team, the Lexington Coopers—my turf, my legacy, and the one place I swore he’d never touch.
No one knows our past.
No one knows how hard I loved him… or how deep the betrayal cut.
And if I have any sway with the team’s owner—my father—Fin’s contract will be the shortest in franchise history.
But the problem with old heartbreaks?
They remember how to start beating again.
Fin wants a second chance.
I want revenge… or maybe I just want him.
And the time clock is almost out.
With the future of the Lexington Coopers on the line, we have to decide if we’re working together or against one another.

From the bestselling author of Infidelity and Sin comes a scorching, high-stakes romantic suspense series set in the seductive, cutthroat world of the NFL. The Coopers is a four-book saga following one explosive couple. INTERCEPTED ends on a cliffhanger—an unforgettable Aleatha blindside.

Grab Your Copy!

Amazon https://amzn.to/48IBQm4

Meet Aleatha Romig:

Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Together with her high-school sweetheart and husband of over thirty years, they've raised three children. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns or her new lighter side, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams! 

Keep up with Aleatha Romig and subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.aleatharomig.com/contact

To learn more about Aleatha Romig & her books, visit here!

Connect with Aleatha Romig:

https://www.aleatharomig.com/contact

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