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.
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.
All it took was one phrase—“๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ข๐บ ๐ข ๐จ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ?”—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.
I can’t believe it’s the end of an absolutely epic series.
This final instalment of the De Lange family is also the final book in the Eagle Elite world.
Tempest Alfero and Louis De Lange were not meant to be together. However, Tempest wanted to go against the grain and not follow through with the arranged marriage her family had set up for her. So she decided to marry Louis.
Both Louis and Tempest have ulterior motives for their relationship but revenge may be the biggest motivator yet.
I’m sad to see this world end but know that I will always remember the banter between all the OG Eagle Elite bosses.
Blood In - No out.
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.
Raleigh Ruebins writes steamy MM love stories with small towns, big egos, and men who should know better... but they fall hard anyway. Her favorite characters are guys who deserve their happily-ever-afters, even if they're rough around the edges--real, flawed, but always with hearts of gold.
Reckless Little Game by Raleigh Ruebins is the third book in the Crimson College series and tells Weston and Sevan’s story beautifully.
Watching these two grow together is such a rewarding experience. Their relationship develops naturally, starting with friendship and slowly deepening into something more. Sev may project confidence and bluster, but underneath it all he’s protective, soft-hearted, and learning—sometimes reluctantly—how to truly understand and give Wes the grace he deserves.
Length: 422 pages Series: The Stolen Romance Series - Book 1 Prior Reading: n/a Genre: contemporary, rockstar Tropes: insta-lust, forced proximity, forbidden romance, strangers-to-lovers, celebrity scandal Trigger/Content Warnings: no content warnings, but this book DOES end on a cliffhanger. Designer: Rocรญo Martin Osuna
Alexander Morgan stands at the pinnacle of pop superstardom—desired by millions, envied by all. But behind the dazzling lights and deafening applause lies a man haunted by secrets. To the world, he's flawless, untouchable. In truth, he's barely holding on.
Christopher Foster, back in London for his sister’s wedding, has his own ghosts to bury. He never expected to collide with Alexander’s turbulent orbit—nor to stir something in the superstar that refuses to stay hidden. As sparks fly and old wounds reopen, the carefully constructed world Alexander lives in begins to fracture under the weight of a passion too fierce to deny.
With the world clamouring for a piece of Alexander, the stolen moments he shares with Christopher become his only escape from the suffocating grip of fame. But in a world where image is everything and the spotlight never fades, can something real survive?
Or will one exposed truth destroy them both?
Stolen Moments is the first book in The Stolen Romance series trilogy. An insta-lust, male-male, forced proximity, strangers-to-lovers, spicy romance with all of the drama, all of the feels, and ends on a nail-biting cliff-hanger... Loosely inspired by a true story!
“Thank you for signing the document, I appreciate it.”
I rest my hand on the pillow as I wait for his gaze to meet mine. I want to address our sexual preferences, but I can feel my avoidance kicking in, and this low-hanging fruit feels easier to navigate.
“Well, just to be clear, my lips are sealed, but my facial expressions are under no such obligation.”
He arches his eyebrows when he finally meets my gaze.
“And actually, come to think of it, there are a couple of things I need answering…” His right leg comes up under his left as he adjusts himself on the couch to directly face me. He sounds like a detective about to launch an interrogation, sending my heart rate soaring for all the wrong reasons.
“Shoot,” I say, fighting back the lump in my throat. He’s already in the room. He’s already signed the contract.
“The name I need to save you in my phone under. What should I use? Houdini? Casper? Big Reveal?” His gaze drifts to my crotch as a smirk rises on his face.
“Alex is fine.” I shake my head at the question’s randomness.
“I can’t save your actual name in my phone, according to the MNDA I just signed.” Ah, right. I turn my head away, toward the TV. Avril Lavigne’s Sk8er Boi video is playing out. A smile forms on my face as I remember how I used to think she was singing the song about me.
“Skater Boy,” I say, turning back to Christopher.
“Okay…?” A look of bewilderment appears on his face as he pulls his phone and room key out of his pocket. He places the room key next to the remote, and holds the phone in his hand. There’s an awkward silence, as if he’s waiting for me to explain why.
“I used to use Avril Lavigne as my pseudonym when checking into hotels because I loved that song,” I say, nodding to the TV.
“Then someone worked it out. I never thought someone would think I’d actually use another artist’s name. Now I’m stuck with whatever name Paul or Rob sign me in under.”
“Ah okay.” He nods his head as he types the name into his phone, before returning it to his pocket. “And if someone asks me how we know each other?”
“We can figure that out later,” I say, sliding across the couch. I want—need—to be closer to him, but his hand stops me from getting too close.
.
I couldn’t put this book down — it has everything I love in a story and kept me hooked from start to finish.
As a debut novel and the first in a trilogy, it’s an impressive beginning. Alexander Morgan and Christopher Foster meet by chance in a hotel lift. Alexander is famous, but Christopher has no idea who he is. From that unexpected meeting, their connection begins to grow. But with Alexander constantly in the public eye, can they really make a relationship work?
I was so engrossed that I forgot it ends on a cliffhanger — now I can’t wait for book two!
Beautifully written with great pacing, this is a captivating read that I highly recommend.
about the author:
A.B. Jackson is the pen name of Jack Williamson, a former music industry executive who spent over two decades living life backstage, touring the globe with chart-topping superstars and navigating the wild, unpredictable rhythms of fame.
After years immersed in the spotlight’s shadows, he traded stadiums and arenas for introspection, pivoting into a powerful second act as an author, songwriter, and practicing psychotherapist. Blending sharp insight with raw emotional truth, Jackson brings a unique voice to contemporary fiction. Stolen Moments; the first book in the Stolen Romance trilogy marks his electrifying debut as a novelist.
While this is his first foray into fiction, he’s no stranger to storytelling: under his real name, Jack Williamson, he authored two best-selling non-fiction titles, The Shitty Committee and Maybe You’re the Problem—both praised for their bold honesty and emotional depth.
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.
The next morning, I woke up happier than I’d been in a long time.
The prospect of seeing Tate again filled me with anticipation. It was a wonder I’d gotten any sleep.
His words from last night still replayed in my head over and over.
“A responsible person wouldn’t be struggling with whether to protect you or eat you.”
God, I hoped he ultimately chose the latter.
We hadn’t even exchanged phone numbers, so I was pleased to see a message come through the dating app from him.
Tate: I’m heading down to breakfast in a few. Care to join me?
Blair: Only if you order me four different kinds of beverages to choose from. BTW, it’s never too early for an espresso martini.
Tate: You’re about two years too early.
I laughed as I typed.
Blair: Very funny.
Tate: See you in a few?
Blair: Maybe…
Tate: Brat.
Blair: You like that about me.
Tate: You’re not wrong.
My mouth hurt from smiling.
When I got downstairs, I saw Tate before he saw me. He sat at a table with a huge pile of food spread before him. How did this man look even more hot today? He wore his baseball hat backward, which was absolutely my weakness. The way pieces of his hair poked out the sides? Scrumptious. Every look he’d rocked was sexier than the last.
I walked over to where he was sitting. “Hey, you.”
He gave me a once-over, and his eyes filled with something that seemed a hell of a lot like desire as he appraised the floral sundress I wore, the top of which was held up by two skimpy strings. My current look wasn’t as dramatic as last night’s, though. Today I had gone for fresh-faced and sassy.
“Well, hello.” He smiled. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a baby…”
“No comment.”
“You’d better not.” I took the seat across from him. “How did you sleep?”
“Best sleep I’ve had in a while, actually.”
“Must have been the company you kept the night before.”
“I did have an amazing time with you last night.” Tate smiled.
He seemed genuine, and I felt myself blush. “Likewise.” I gestured to the food. “Hungry much?”
There were eggs, bacon, a huge stack of pancakes, home fries, and fruit.
“All of this is for both of us. Have you seen that buffet line? I waited for like twenty minutes. Didn’t want you to have to do the same.”
“Well, I guess I win for being fashionably late. Thank you.” I grinned. “Between the variety of drinks the first time we met and this private buffet, I’m starting to think this is your thing—hoarding food.”
He gestured to the plates. “Eat up.”
How I wish I could.
For some reason, I wasn’t all that hungry—at least for food. But it was amusing to watch this big, strong man devour his breakfast.
“What are your plans today?” I asked as he munched.
“Depends on whether a certain girl wants to hang out with me.”
“I wasn’t gonna be presumptuous. You’re the one who’s been resistant.”
“Only to certain things and for your own good,” he clarified. “I’m not resistant to your company in the least. I quite like it.”
“So what’s another safe activity we can do so you don’t have to feel like a creeper?”
Tate stopped chewing for a moment. “I was thinking maybe we could go kayaking, if you’re up for it.”
My mouth curved into a smile. “I would love that, actually.”
In truth, I could take or leave kayaking. But any activity where I’d be in close proximity to Tate today was fine by me.
“Cool. I already booked it.”
“Now you’re the one being presumptuous.”
“Maybe, yeah.” He winked before stuffing a big piece of pancake into his mouth.
Never thought I could be jealous of a pancake, but here we were.
I reached my fork across the table and began eating off his plate. As I leaned forward, I accidentally rested my foot on top of his at one point. To my surprise, he didn’t move it away. The contact sent a rush of desire through me.
I popped a piece of pineapple into my mouth. “Do anything interesting when you got back to your room last night?”
“Not particularly.” He chewed.
“After what you said about contemplating eating me, I think you might be lying.”
He stopped mid-bite and shook his head. “Even if I did do what you’re implying, I wouldn’t admit it.”
“I’m pretty sure you just did.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your face is red. You’re fidgeting. The signs are all there.”
I strategically selected a banana, holding it firmly in my hand as I slowly peeled it and took a big bite. Tate’s eyes remained fixed on me the entire time. “It was the only way I could sleep,” I added.
He nearly choked on his coffee.
“What you said riled me up,” I told him.
“Some things can remain private.” He glared. “You know?”
“So, you don’t want to know about my soothing Epsom salt foot soak?”
Tate reached across the table, grabbed my banana, and took a frustrated bite.
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.
Two weeks. One villa. A dangerous game of seduction and lies.
My job is simple: get close, get the intel, get out.
Then Locke Maris walks into my op.
He’s cold. Controlled. Heir to a billion-dollar shipping fortune. And so aggressively straight he doesn’t even look at me twice…
Until he does.
Locke makes me an offer: play his assistant by day, be his secret lover by night, at a house party where the world’s elite will gather to sip champagne, enjoy the Italian sun… and play a dangerous game called Paxis.
In this ancient variation of chess, humans are pawns and each coded move could start or stop wars. I should report this to my agency immediately. Walk away clean.
But I can’t walk away.
Because in the privacy of his suite, the moves Locke makes are just as dangerous, the words he murmurs in my ear as devastating, and the growing devotion I feel as destructive as any global war.
At the end of this, I’ll have to disappear like I always do.
I don’t get to want things that could ruin my cover—or my career.
But Locke Maris is ruthless about protecting what’s his, and as far as he’s concerned he owns me.
When everything falls apart, I’ll find out exactly how far he’ll go to keep me.
Absolutely loved this book! Owning Jett has everything—secret relationships, undercover missions, mystery, and a slow-burn connection that refuses to fade. From their very first meeting, Jett and Locke can’t stop thinking about each other. Even as years pass with only brief encounters, the chemistry between them is undeniable and only grows stronger.
This story is more than just a bi-awakening romance. It’s filled with suspense, intrigue, emotional depth, and perfectly timed humor. And of course, the Marian family brings the laughs and the heart. They’re outrageous, loyal, and always there for one another, which makes every family scene a highlight.
Lucy Lennox is a USA Today bestselling author and winner of the A.C. Katt Gay Debut Novel Award.
After enjoying creative writing as a child, Lucy didn’t write her first novel until she was over 40 years old. Her debut novel, Borrowing Blue, was published in the autumn of 2016. Lucy has an English Literature degree from Vanderbilt University, but that doesn’t hold a candle to the years and years of staying up all night reading tantalizing novels on her own. She has three children, plays tennis, and hates folding laundry. While her husband is no shmoopy romance hero, he is very good at math, cooks a mean lasagne, has gorgeous eyes, looks hot in his business clothes, and makes her laugh every single day. She writes gay romance with heart, humor, and heat!
