NEW RELEASE AND SURPRISE RELEASE ALERT!!
Limited Edition Husband by #1 NYT bestselling author Lauren Blakely, writing as L. Blakely, is NOW LIVE and FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
ALSO!!
Lauren loves surprising her readers! MANHANDLED is NOW LIVE ALSO!! This will be Lauren’s FINAL MM romance of 2023!
Make sure to grab these all-new standalone sports MM romances TODAY!!
(Winner Takes All #4)
Lauren Blakely writing as L. Blakely
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Release Date May 3, 2023
A fake marriage standalone MM romance from #1 New York Times Bestselling author Lauren Blakely writing MM romance as L. Blakely...
One night with no strings was supposed to be the plan.
After barely escaping my last train wreck of a romance, I’ve got a new dating goal—play it cool.
I stick to that strategy when I bump into a charming Brit I met once before. He’s newly out and eager for all the things he’s never done, so I make the helpful suggestion we jet off to the city of sin for the night, then say goodbye.
But instead, thanks to a bet and some bourbon, we’re saying I do.
And in the morning I’m asking myself what the hell have I done? But we’ll just undo the holy matrimony right this stinking second.
Except, the pics of our nuptials are splashed all over the Internet–the pro football player eloped!
Great, just great.
Now, my agent says we need to stay Mister and Mister until the brouhaha blows over.
Thirty days as fake husbands with the sexy, irresistible guy who’s determined to prove that he’s nothing like my ex?
My bruised heart can handle that as long as I don’t fall for my husband.
And I won't. When we split for real, he'll be an ocean away.
Contents include: A sarcastic, romance-phobic American football player, a charming and dirty-minded young British businessman, white-hot first times, dangerous decisions, and a sexy, witty, emotional fake marriage, first times MM standalone sports romance!
Nate is a somewhat jaded, divorced, pro football player, and has decided to quit being serious about relationships and just try playing the field.
Hunter is an outgoing, British, streaming network executive who has just recently figured out some things about himself and is eager to explore.
A meet-cute and a hot interlude leave them thinking about the other, but realizing it is just supposed to be one night...until the opportunity arises for another night that might just be in Vegas. That leads to some unexpected shenanigans and complications. What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay there but that is not always the case.
Now they are in an unexpected situation and just trying to get through it with the least amount of damage possible to their reputations and their hearts. They enjoy each other's company in and out of the bedroom. Nate is a gentle giant that has been burned and is still feeling negative repercussions from his ex. But he is loyal, loving, family-oriented, and can be both bossy and vulnerable. Hunter is a bit younger, fun, adventurous, and irresistible. But he also is a bit insecure about some things and can fall into negative self-talk as well. Even though the relationship is supposed to be for show, their connection, chemistry, and trust are very real.
They are learning to live in the moment and explore new things together during their fabulous fake honeymoon, but they both know there is an expiration date and not much time to be husbands.
Now they are in an unexpected situation and just trying to get through it with the least amount of damage possible to their reputations and their hearts. They enjoy each other's company in and out of the bedroom. Nate is a gentle giant that has been burned and is still feeling negative repercussions from his ex. But he is loyal, loving, family-oriented, and can be both bossy and vulnerable. Hunter is a bit younger, fun, adventurous, and irresistible. But he also is a bit insecure about some things and can fall into negative self-talk as well. Even though the relationship is supposed to be for show, their connection, chemistry, and trust are very real.
They are learning to live in the moment and explore new things together during their fabulous fake honeymoon, but they both know there is an expiration date and not much time to be husbands.
This is a fun, witty, sexy, swoony, oops-we-got-married, M/M romance where the characters actually surprise themselves. Nate and Hunter are just such good guys, and so cute and hot together. They have witty, flirty, dirty rapport. They both have trust issues, but just really deep down want respect, care, and passion. They make each other excited about life and intimacy. They totally deserve to find something good but are scared of being hurt or not being enough, so they will have to make themselves believe the risk is actually worth it. And there is the little challenge that they live and work in different countries too.
I just loved these two together and their story. There are some fun cameos from the LB Universe and I am totally interested in more with their friends. And a progression from previous side characters made me smile.
Nate is a football player just out of a bad relationship that has left him with an aversion to serious relationships. He is ready to have some fun for a bit while he avoids the heartache that came from his last breakup.
Hudson is working a new job with a streaming service, helping to set up a new sports documentary series. He may be new to the position, but he has ties to the industry that he is trying to keep on the down-low. He is also exploring his interests and is looking for a guy to try new things with and on.
After an adorable meet cute, they spend one steamy night together that leaves them wishing for more time. But responsibilities and airline flights call, and after making a pact to get in contact after a year, they go their separate ways. But their separate ways have them both longing for another night and another chance. A quick trip to Vegas finds them at the end of a wager that ends at a drive-thru wedding chapel and facing big repercussions the next day.
I loved these two from early on. After their impulsive decision to get married in Vegas, other forces converge to suggest they stay married for a month before making any further changes to their relationship status. That month of fake marriage provided so many fun scenes full of steam (of course), but also vulnerability, support, and heart.
The pacing moved pretty quick, and though early on it felt a little like insta-love, these two quickly developed real feelings that messed with the temporary nature of their arrangement. I loved the way this story developed through the middle, and the resolution at the end. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a fake/rushed/accidental marriage!
There are some great cameos from other Blakely series and stories and I could see the bits and pieces as they fit into the wider world of her characters. As always, this is a standalone built into such a rich world that there are always hidden (and not so hidden) connections throughout.
Release Date May 3, 2023
A friends to lovers MM romance
My buddies made me do it. I swear.
I didn’t plan to bid big on a date with my baseball player best friend at the auction. But he looked really good in that tailored suit, and I can't resist a dare.
The media jumps all over the story – the city’s new quarterback nabs a date with the bigshot star shortstop.
Not so fast – we’re just friends.
Until we hit the links for the strictly platonic date I won. Suddenly I'm looking at my silver-tongued, devilishly handsome best bud in a whole new light–and it’s dark and dirty.
We cross way over the friendship line at my place that night, but in the morning we agree it can’t happen again. Trouble is, we can’t keep our hands off each other, especially not when we’re stuck in the same hotel room at our friend’s wedding.
But Tanner wants a real relationship, and I’m only serious about football. So when my second season as a starter begins next week, our late-night games (and talks, and sleepovers, and morning coffees) will have to end.
Except, as the cutoff looms closer, I’m feeling a whole lot more than friendship and that’s a big problem for my career…
Don't miss this red-hot, friends-to-lovers, only-one-bed-in-the-room MM sports romance from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely!
Two best friends. Players on and off the field. One is an established pro baseball shortstop. One is a quarterback just finding his place on his team. One is looking for long-term love. One can only handle casual and wants to focus on his sport. They are used to men just wanting to use them for their status. Throw in some bets, dares, and group camaraderie, and things will start to get a bit messy.
Tanner Sloan is a superstar and pro baseball player. He’s popular, easy-going, charming, and charitable. His best friend is football player Luke Remington, who is just now in a good place with a good team and getting to play at his best. He’s fun and a jokester, but he also is a bit more cautious about relationships or getting too close. They have a very, fun dynamic where they’re always daring and trying to one-up each other. But they are also very supportive and there for each other if they need advice or help. So their friendship is very important to both of them.
These guys have been best friends for years, but never really looked close enough to realize there may be an underlying attraction between them. But now it’s like there’s been a spotlight put on that attraction that is hard to ignore. But they ultimately want different things. And they’re not willing to sacrifice their friendship. They’ve got other friends needling them and cheering them on. Now they are exploring some new activities together but know that it should only be a one-and-done to get it out of their systems. It really shouldn’t keep going on...but they seem to keep finding these little loopholes and running the razor-sharp line between friends and friends-with-benefits.
So now they’re both struggling with the fact that they care so much about their friendship and at the same time are enjoying what they’re doing, but they have completely different views on relationships. Tanner is looking for love and all that it entails despite being burned in the past and having trust issues. And Luke has some issues with fear of failure and doesn’t feel like he will be able to devote himself to a real relationship and thinks he needs to focus on football. They do struggle not because they don’t care but because they care too much, and circumstances make things challenging. But it’s the personal fears and insecurities that are the biggest threat. So it’s a hot mess of confusing feelings and tempting nights that they just can’t seem to stop, complicated by a close-knit shared friendship group It's hard to figure out what to do about it all.
This is a fun, witty, hot and steamy, emotional, best-friends-to-lovers with two athletes. I love these guys together. They are so much fun! They just have such great banter but also explosive chemistry along with a deep bond and intimacy. They also both really care about each other, their friends, and charity. They’re good men who treat people right and want to do the right thing. But they are so tempted and consumed by these new urges that their bodies are ruling their brains and their hearts are on the line even if they think they are trying to keep them safe. And circumstances seem to keep messing things up for them.
I had some big feelings during this one. Oh, the angst, conflict, and disappointments were killing me. But there are so many sweet, fun, and hot moments too. I was really feeling everything with these guys.
But even when I was heartbroken, there are so many parts with levity, fun, camaraderie, goofiness, and just good positive role models of M/M relationships in their friend group that made me smile. I appreciated that they were so focused and enjoyed their careers even if sometimes that did also cause issues. But at the core of the story is just these incredible friendships, and this particular one that blossoms into more than they ever expected. It’s just not easy, figuring out how to navigate all the working parts. But I was rooting for these two all the way, and I always felt like they were perfect for each other.
These guys have been best friends for years, but never really looked close enough to realize there may be an underlying attraction between them. But now it’s like there’s been a spotlight put on that attraction that is hard to ignore. But they ultimately want different things. And they’re not willing to sacrifice their friendship. They’ve got other friends needling them and cheering them on. Now they are exploring some new activities together but know that it should only be a one-and-done to get it out of their systems. It really shouldn’t keep going on...but they seem to keep finding these little loopholes and running the razor-sharp line between friends and friends-with-benefits.
So now they’re both struggling with the fact that they care so much about their friendship and at the same time are enjoying what they’re doing, but they have completely different views on relationships. Tanner is looking for love and all that it entails despite being burned in the past and having trust issues. And Luke has some issues with fear of failure and doesn’t feel like he will be able to devote himself to a real relationship and thinks he needs to focus on football. They do struggle not because they don’t care but because they care too much, and circumstances make things challenging. But it’s the personal fears and insecurities that are the biggest threat. So it’s a hot mess of confusing feelings and tempting nights that they just can’t seem to stop, complicated by a close-knit shared friendship group It's hard to figure out what to do about it all.
This is a fun, witty, hot and steamy, emotional, best-friends-to-lovers with two athletes. I love these guys together. They are so much fun! They just have such great banter but also explosive chemistry along with a deep bond and intimacy. They also both really care about each other, their friends, and charity. They’re good men who treat people right and want to do the right thing. But they are so tempted and consumed by these new urges that their bodies are ruling their brains and their hearts are on the line even if they think they are trying to keep them safe. And circumstances seem to keep messing things up for them.
I had some big feelings during this one. Oh, the angst, conflict, and disappointments were killing me. But there are so many sweet, fun, and hot moments too. I was really feeling everything with these guys.
But even when I was heartbroken, there are so many parts with levity, fun, camaraderie, goofiness, and just good positive role models of M/M relationships in their friend group that made me smile. I appreciated that they were so focused and enjoyed their careers even if sometimes that did also cause issues. But at the core of the story is just these incredible friendships, and this particular one that blossoms into more than they ever expected. It’s just not easy, figuring out how to navigate all the working parts. But I was rooting for these two all the way, and I always felt like they were perfect for each other.
Lauren Blakely
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A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sweet, sexy and witty. She also writes red-hot, sexy romance and USA Today bestselling LGBTQ romance.
With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 100 times, with more than 65 titles on the USA Today Bestsellers list alone. She’s sold more than 5 million books. She likes dogs, cake and show tunes, and is the vegetarian at your dinner party.
