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Evan and Sally were children who didnât startle easily. They knew which animals to avoid, what areas to stay out of, and even which plants they could pick to eat, and which ones might kill them if they were only to reach out and brush their fingers against the leaves. Theyâd been sent out at times with baskets to pick the medicinal plants that their mothers and grandmothers used to make medicine that kept them and their siblings alive, and theyâd been sent out with shotguns to secure something for dinner on the eves when their daddies got too drunk after a day on the river and forgot to come home. They grew up as part of remnants of a civilization as yet untouched by the hands of the modern outside world, without things like electricity or telephones. They were the offspring of Acadians who had settled upon the rapidly sinking earth, eventually cohabitating and mating with the blacks and the whites like the French, who had come to the swamps for the same reasons the Acadians had…to live, love, and create life in a place that even the hands of time seemed unable to touch. They created families, and their own language, and their own culture, twisting and binding what theyâd each brought with them until theyâd created their own vibrant and colorful culture unlike any other.
The people who reared Sally and Evan, and those that came before them, werenât rich in dollars and material things, but their souls were rich and their bodies hearty and it took a lot to rattle or even startle them…but nothing either child had seen or heard in their short time on earth had prepared them for what theyâd stumbled upon that day. The silence between them was almost deafening before Sally finally said:
âShould I go get Paw Paw?â
âNo.â Evan didnât hesitate. Sallyâs grandpa was the last person they needed there. Evan wouldnât tell Sally, but like the rest of the community, he thought the old man wasnât really right in the head. He would want to chant some black magic, voodoo bullshit that wouldnât do any of them a lick of good. Evan knew what they needed at that moment was a grown-up with a cool head, and the only man the boy knew who fit that description to a perfect âTâ was his own Paw, Jean Luc Babineaux.
âIâll get my Paw,â he told her. Evan started to release Sallyâs hand, but he felt her grip onto him tighter almost simultaneously. In a voice he usually reserved for one of his little sisters when they woke out of a nightmare he said, âItâs okay, Sal. Iâm not gonna leave you. The mudâs deep here. though, so hang onto my belt loopsâIâll need my arms to get us out of here.â Evan had learned young that while walking in the bayou, upper body strength can be just as important as lower. He used his arms to reach out and grab onto the trunks or boughs of the trees that surrounded them, and use them as leverage to pull his feet out of the deep, sucking mud so he could move forward with another step. Sally clung onto him and although she was tiny, made his journey back out of the little cove theyâd been exploring that much more difficult.
Evan was covered in sweat by the time they broke through the thick trees and long, tall lines of cattails, onto the dirt road that led to the riverâs edge. Evanâs family home was there, situated among a dozen others. It was the place where he and all three of his sisters had been born, and his father before him, and his grandfather before that. It was small and cramped and occasionally his father had to use cement blocks to keep the front porch from dipping so far down on one side that it looked like a ramp. But it was home, and as soon as Evan saw it, some of the terror that had been digging its claws into the boyâs soul began to ebb slowly, like a tide as it left behind the soft, wet clumps of sand on the beach.
âPaw!â Evan yelled, taking Sallyâs hand again and beginning to run toward the house. His fatherâs voice caused him to stop halfway and look toward the old boat docks.
âEvan! Come on and help me here, boy! Grab that duct tape over there.â
Evan would have told his Paw that his news was the type that couldnât wait, if Jean Luc wasnât at that very second straddling the broad back of what looked like a seven-foot alligator. Evan looked at Sally and mouthed, âSorry,â before releasing her hand, grabbing the roll of silver tape off the porch railing, and running toward his dad and the ginormous reptile. Normally watching his Paw take down a gator fascinated Evan. He was in awe of the 6’6″ three-hundred-pound man who could rock a baby to sleep at 2 a.m., pull in a two-hundred-pound cage of crawfish, and wrestle an alligator before the sun came up every morning. Most days Evan wanted to grow up to be just like him…Jean Luc Babineaux was King of the Bayou, and that notion made young Evan proud.
âGet âem, boy! You gonna stand there and watch him eat me, or what?â his Paw snapped, and brought the boy out of his thoughts and back to the task at hand. Pulling about two feet of the silver tape loose from the roll, he crept closer and while his Paw continued to wrestle the behemoth, Evan wrapped the tape around its jaws, not stopping until heâd used half the roll.
âGood job!â Jean Luc said, hardly out of breath. He patted the still angry and twisting gator on its side and said, âI ought to just ride him into town now!â Evan was sure no one would be surprised if he did. His Paw had a reputation in town, so much so that the townsfolk were almost disappointed if Jean Luc walked in like a ânormalâ man and didnât leave them something to talk about for days, weeks, months, or even years afterwards. Such a day was a rarity though, and even at forty years old, Jean Luc hadnât run out of ways to shock them. âHelp me get him into the cage now.â Jean Luc sometimes killed the gators he caught, and the meat was used to feed their family and many others. But other times, when he was able to get a hold of a specimen as big and pretty as the one he was riding, he took them to a âGator Ranch,â a sanctuary that was a popular tourist destination. The gator would live out the rest of its life there on the ranch, amusing the visitors by simply lying lazily on the banks of the man-made ponds and waiting for its daily feeding. Evan felt sorrier for those than he did the ones they killed and ate. He had never been caged or fenced in, but just the thought of it made the boy feel like it was hard to breathe.
âEvan…â Sally still looked shaken, maybe even more so after watching Evan and his dad subdue the gator.
âGive me one more minute,â Evan told her. He did what Jean Luc asked, and helped him push the angry, uncooperative reptile into the large cage that Jean Luc would then load onto his boat. When that was done and the cage door locked up tightly Evan finally said, âPaw, me and Sally saw something out in the cove…â
Jean Luc looked like he was waiting for the boy to go on, and when he didnât, Jean Luc said, âWell, I gotta get that gator delivered before dark, son, so as long as it ainât nothing thatâs gonna eat us in our sleep, I best get to it.â Evan was shaking all over, and he knew he had to tell his father…but the words were sticking in his throat and Jean Luc was already sliding the cage onto the boat when Sally finally said:
âMr. Babineaux! Thereâs a lady in the cove…a dead lady, without a head.â
That froze the old man in his tracks. At last he straightened up and looked from his son to Sally and back again, taking in their faces and obviously unsure if this was a silly, albeit sick, little pre-adolescent game, or if they were in fact telling the truth. When his dark blue eyes landed on his sonâs face for a second time, Evan nodded. âItâs true, Paw…itâs a naked lady, and sheâs dead.â
Jean Luc frowned. âYou said her head was gone?â The children nodded and still looking thoughtful he said, âLook like animals did it?â
âNo, Paw, it looks like it was sliced off, and she ainât been there too long because the animals ainât really got to her yet.â
âFuck me,â Jean Luc said, his expression remaining neutral. âI reckon I should go out and have a look. Can you kids show me exactly where you found her?â The children nodded, and with the gigantic alligator in tow in his cage, Jean Luc took them out toward the cove in the boat, stopping and tying it along the muddy banks when the kids told him to. The three of them climbed out and while Evan quickly led his Paw toward the spot, Sally held back, looking unwilling to see it again. Evan didnât blame her. His rush was more about passing the responsibility of the horrible discovery onto his father and taking it off his skinny young shoulders. When they reached the spot where the part of a lady still lay, half submerged in the mud and muck, Jean Luc and Evan stood side by side, staring down at her. Seconds passed, or maybe even minutes, before once again Jean Luc said, âFuck me. I reckon weâll have the government up our butts now for a while.â
The government wasnât something the Cajun people who lived in the Atchafalaya Swamp welcomed, especially into their homes. But insofar as Jean Luc and his family strove to live off the grid, the man had a strong sense of right and wrong, and Evan had known before they even made it out there that Jean Luc would know what the right thing was to do. Evan watched his old manâs face as he stared down at the woman. Anyone else looking at him would see nothing…a blank canvas that could be interpreted in any number of ways. Jean Lucâs expression was the same whether he was singing a French lullaby to one of his babies, or skinning a gator, or shooting a wild hog. Evan always wondered if emotions were afraid to cross the path of the big manâs face, but what heâd learned in the years as he grew from a babe in his fatherâs giant arms to his sometimes-reluctant sidekick was that the answer to everything was in Jean Lucâs blue eyes. Every emotion the man felt was there, and now as Evan stared up at his Paw, he saw the horror there, the compassion, and the worry. Evan knew the worry would be for his own wife and daughters, and the wives and daughters of his neighbors. Evanâs Paw taught him an infinite number of things. Heâd grow up learning how to work hard. Heâd know how to fish, hunt, fight, love, provide for and protect his family. But the ability to do any of that without letting the rest of the world know what you were thinking as you did it, that was the one thing Jean Luc taught his son that Evan used most to shape his future.
* * *
It was over thirty years since that day in the swamps when Evan looked down into the eyes of the man responsible for leaving that poor woman to rot in the mud or be eaten by predators. But as he looked down into the manâs terrified brown eyes, not a soul in the room could have even guessed what he was thinking.
âBonjou, Christoff.â
The man on the floor may not have known what the big, dark-haired, blue-eyed, heavily-tattooed man looking down at him was thinking either…but he obviously knew enough about the man to be very afraid. In an almost inaudible, shaky voice the brown-eyed man managed to squeak out, âBonjou, Blackheart.â
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âThis short read is smoking hot, full of love and alpha males that take what they want.â -Spunky N Sassy book blog
âA lot of fun and packed a lot of heat.â -Booked Every Night Blog
âQuick and dirty! If you love Insta-love, fated mates, and super hot alpha males who growl, this is the book for you!â -Neshaisabookworm
âFuck you,â spat my little brother.
By little, I mean youngest of the pack because he was built like a fucking boulder. We all were. I was the oldest and tallest, biggest cock, too, but my brothers would go to their graves before ever admitting it. Weâve lived in the woods our entire lives and for years searched for mates, but to no avail. After last season, our frustration reached fever pitch. Here we were, mate-less thirty-something-year-old bear shifters. The only thing that gets me through the shit show thatâs winter is the thought that Iâll find her. The one. My one. Sheâs all I think about, and even though Iâve never even met her, I love her. I have dreamed of her, though. Iâve never told my brothers because the jokes would never end. But I have. She has dark auburn hair and milky white skin I can almost taste. And donât get me started on her tits. Jesus fucking Christ. Just thinking about them bouncing while I fuck her makes me hard. I could practically feel my bear trying to claw itself out. When I find her, Iâm gonna bury my cock deep inside her tight little pussy and fill her with my seed. Thereâs something else. In my last dream, she was kneeling over a cracked mirror. She looked so fucking sad as she tried to put the pieces back togetherâit broke my heart. I woke up the next morning and decided Iâd make her the biggest and prettiest fucking mirror I could. I took all the panels I could buy in the nearest town and mounted them along the wall in my room. Iâve been carving the wooden border by hand for months.
Oh what a super quick sexy read! If you looking for a really short one to get your blood heating, this book is greta for that. I haven’t read a Reverse Harem or a shifter book in awhile so when I came across this one, I knew I was going to read and enjoy it. This book is steamy and adorable at the same time. Loved the characters! Those brothers each had different personalities which I appreciated. However, they all have something in common. Brodie, Lucas, and Finn are sexy, intense. protective, and possessive, all traits of alpha heroes. Kat is one very lucky woman. My one complaint was that I wished this book was longer. This was my first Becket Riley book and I am looking forward to reading more from her.
This is my honest and unbiased review. Thank you for taking the time to read it. đ
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Red Hatter Book Blog âââââ – âEnemies to lovers with some sweet surprises! Can I get a heck yeeeeah!? This book is a check list for all sorts of goodness.
âSteam
âChemistry
âAngst
âSwoonâ
Katherine Elizabeth âââââ – âWhoo-boy, I can’t wait for more people to read this book and join me in the Jacie Lennon Fan Club.â
Nikkita âââââ – âThis was my first time reading anything by this author, I’m positive it won’t be the last.â
He’d gone on countless assignments all around the world but nothing could prepare him for her. Tension is high after a cyber-attack exposes the agency’s personnel files to enemy hackers. Among those exposed includes the Director of the secret military security group. Chris’s boss assigns him to security detail for his spoiled and stubborn twenty-three-year-old daughter. It could be an assignment from hell until Chris gets a look at the gorgeous woman with her perfect curves. What he doesn’t realize is that this stubborn woman may be the most challenging mission yet.
Caroline
Caroline’s overprotective father reaches a new extreme when he hires a bodyguard to watch over her. She’d happily spend her time with the muscled hunk oozing masculinity unlike the boys she’s met before but she resists — convinced he’s not there to keep her safe but to keep her from living her life. Caroline refuses to be controlled by her father or the strong, tough soldier her dad sent to protect her.
All Addy wanted was a new beginning and a chance at a normal life after leaving her cheating ex. She never expected her new start to include witnessing a brutal crime and being forced to relocate while the police searched for the killer. Finding herself waiting tables alone in a new town isn’t exactly the start she was hoping for until the handsome stranger at table four turns her world upside down.
Crossing the Line is a standalone Romantic Suspense / Mystery novel with a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhangers.
Contains violent scenes and sexual situations. Mature readers only. Adults 18+
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“Trust me when I say, you must read this book! It is 110% worth the read.” – KG Book Blog
“Oh, I love this book! Finally, a premise I haven’t ever read!” – JustLoveMyBook.com Blog
“This book is so freaking funny. I snort-laughed a few too many times!!!” – Kelly, Goodreads Reviewer
“…you have one of the funniest laugh out loud books Iâve read this year. Seriously, donât try to read this while eating or drinking as it may result in choking due to laughing!” – Leisa Ann, Goodreads Reviewer
So, I love everything about this book. Every aspect. While yes, it became a little predictable, I did not mind. Especially while I knew something funny was about to happen, I wasn’t sure exactly what is was. There are some totally cringe-worthy moments that forced second hand embarrassment on me and I loved every minute. Unfortunately, because this book was pretty fast-paced, I felt like it was over too soon. I needed more! Both H/h were the epitome of awkward and endearing characters. Even the secondary characters made this book more likable.
Jameson and Lily-Marie were so adorable. I couldn’t stop laughing at their behavior. I can promise you this book is lighthearted and enjoyable. I can also promise you laughter and the most amazing grand gesture. Our hero may be awkward and clueless when it comes to romance but he was truly one of the most endearing characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about.
I definitely recommend this romantic comedy. It’s a well-written, fast-paced entertaining read!
This is my honest on unbiased review. Thank you for taking the time to read it. đ
Love, not time, heals all wounds, but the scars remain forever.
Josh Kennedy experienced a difficult childhood no one should have to endure. Losing his family at the age of twelve, Josh learns that family isnât about blood but who loves you in life. Adopted into a loving home, he begins to realize that a life full of love and friendship, is a life worth living.
Emily Sheppard came from a loving home surrounded by friends and family who adored her. At the age of fifteen, she experienced something so horrific, the rest of her life was forever altered. Withdrawing into herself, Emily walks through each day with a fake smile and a broken soul.
Until Josh Kennedy.
When fate reunites Emilyâs brother with his forever love, it also delivers Josh right to Emilyâs doorstep. Josh knew from the first touch that Emily was destined to be his One but her painful past kept him at an armâs length. Josh keeps chipping away at the wall Emily erected around her heart until he had proven to her that no matter the past, the future is always a new chance at happiness.
When ghosts of the past begin to swirl around Emily, Josh must fight her demons while confronting his own. When presented with their chance at forever, will the two broken souls find a way to heal as one or will they allow the past to ruin their forever?
Goodreads — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43435926-the-soul-that-redeems-me
Amazon — https://amzn.to/2SOrqJs
H.J. Marshall began her love of reading and writing at an early age and has always dreamed of being a writer full time. Moving frequently while growing up has given H.J. many different perspectives of life, community, and culture, resulting in a lifelong love of food, music, and history. After years of Retail and Non-Profit Management, H.J. decided to take a leap of faith and began to write the stories bouncing around her head.
When she is not writing, she enjoys the music of all generations and genres, living in her cabin in the woods, and cooking new and exciting meals for her husband. H.J., who loves to travel, has been a certified diver since she was 18 years old and has significant spent time in the Caribbean and Bahamas, meeting amazing people and seeing wondrous sites. Currently landlocked, H.J. dreams of her beach house, salty air, a life filled with laughter.
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