A bit about me: I'm a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.
Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.
I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy. My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Thai.
A treaty between three warring realms calls for a mass wedding ceremony amongst their eligible princes and princesses to solidify the peace. But since the number of males and females differ, one of the marriages must be between two of the princes.
Prince Obren of Canna draws the short straw, sealing his fate, and Prince Dukan of Butari volunteers to be the other half of the nontraditional marriage. The two princes fought nobly in the years-long war and are willing to do whatever it takes to finalize the treaty, ending the conflict that took the lives of their loved ones…Obren’s brother and Dukan’s lover.
Each harbors a dark secret, and King Rogan of Canna has long nurtured a deep hatred of Obren, blaming him for bringing home the deadly virus responsible for the untimely death of his much-adored wife. Obren and Dukan can’t deny their chemistry, but can they overcome the ugly truths complicating their path to a friendly, respectful, and—dare they hope—loving relationship? Will King Rogan stop at nothing to dash Obren’s chance at happiness, or does that short straw represent good luck, after all?
Excerpt
Chapter 1: Drawing Straws
Obren, a prince of Canna, had drawn straws many times in the past, but never had the stakes been so high. This time it was not about who would go first or last either in childhood games of years gone by, or in sexual liaisons from more recent years. It was not about who would help pitch the army tents versus dig the holes for the latrine. Or fill them in, later, when breaking camp.
This time, the rest of his life was at stake. Not life or death itself, but the direction his life would follow and its potential to bring him happiness.
Obren’s stomach twisted into a knot as his father, King Rogan of Canna, offered his closed fist. Obren drew in a deep breath, understanding, to the marrow of his bones, that any plea to avoid this choice was pointless. A straw must be drawn, and as the older of the two brothers, he would draw first.
Not that the order of drawing mattered. Whether or not he drew the short straw would be down to luck. The luck of the draw would decide his life’s path. His hand twitched as he checked a nervous impulse to smooth down his already neatly styled blond hair.
Obren closed his eyes, shut out the sounds of his father’s heavy breathing, and focused on preventing the quiver building in his gut from reaching his hand as he lifted it. He paused and opened his eyes. Was there any possible stratagem he could employ to boost his chances?
“Just pick one,” Lale hissed. “Let’s get this over with.” Lale, being Obren’s younger brother, was as invested in the outcome as was Obren.
Obren swallowed, squared his shoulders, and snatched one of the two straws sticking up from Father’s fist. He stepped back and stared at the stick, but it gave him no information.
No useful information, anyway. Length could be both absolute and relative. He could see that the absolute length of his straw was about six knuckles long. But it was the length relative to the straw remaining in Father’s hand that would give the answer.
Lale strode swiftly forward and grabbed the remaining straw. The brothers stood staring at one another for ten solid beats before slowly raising their hands to compare straws.
Obren stared blankly at them, but it was the slow grin spreading across Lale’s face that came into focus first. Lale held the longer of the two.
Heat suffused Obren’s face as he snapped his straw in half and let the two pieces drop to the floor.
“Enough of that.” The king used his regal tone, usually reserved for court. “You will do your duty, and you will do it without displays that should have been left behind when you graduated out of the nursery.”
Obren clenched his jaw. He shouldn’t say anything more, but his mouth ran on unheeded. “I’m older. It wouldn’t have been out of order for you to have decided based upon our ages.”
“Your sisters are older still. You’re not even the spare, let alone the heir. You don’t matter.”
Lale snorted, and Obren shot a glare in his direction. But Lale was looking at their father with an unwise expression of disgust. The snort hadn’t been directed at Obren; it had been in response to Father’s unkind remark about both of their worth.
Obren softened his own expression, and when Lale returned his gaze to Obren, Lale swallowed, and said, “Obren’s right. Neither of us wants this, of course, but it should be me.”
The two brothers had never been the best of friends. Their personalities didn’t align well for that. But they’d always felt the bond of brotherhood, and here, Lale probably felt a sense of duty to repay Obren for saving his life amidst a fierce battle in the final year of the war.
Obren wasn’t entirely sure if his conscience would have allowed him to let Lale take this burden upon himself after winning the draw—probably not, impulsive comment notwithstanding—but that option wasn’t on the table. “Nonsense. The selection was fairly made,” the king said with a glare of his own directed at Obren. “I expect you to behave like a rational adult at both the reunion dinner this evening and the ball tomorrow night.”
Obren held in his retort and gave a curt nod before turning on his heel and striding, with as much dignity as he could muster, from the room.
Anger roiled through his belly as he raced through the castle hallways to his suite of rooms. His footsteps clicked on the stone floor and echoed through the empty passages. A lingering whiff of the sausages they’d eaten at breakfast still hung in the air.
It was an understatement to say that Father preferred Lale. Had done since Obren had been a schoolboy. In fact, Obren wouldn’t be surprised to learn if Father had somehow manipulated the straws to ensure Obren picked the shorter of the two.
Father had never forgiven him for his mother’s death. As if Obren had deliberately caught the jumping spotty fever. He certainly hadn’t been aware enough during the height of his illness to influence his mother to stay away from him. She’d nursed him, as a loving mother would do, and she’d become ill herself, succumbing to the disease whereas Obren had recovered.
Once in his suite, he flopped face down onto the bed and screamed into his pillow.
About the Author
Rainbow Award winning author Addison Albright lives smack dab in the middle of the USA. Her stories are gay romance in contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction genres. She generally adds a subtle touch of humor, a dash of drama/angst, and a sprinkle of slice-of-life to her stories. Her education includes a BS in Education with a major in mathematics and a minor in chemistry. Addison loves spending time with her family, reading, popcorn, boating, French fries, “open window weather,” cats, math, and anything chocolate. She loves to read pretty much anything and everything, anytime and anywhere.
Pretty sure I was a serial killer in my past life.
Because karma is kicking my ass in this one.
Everything was copasetic. I was coasting on the wave of life… until a gnarly swell pulled me under, and I washed ashore to a nightmare. A nightmare there was no waking from.
So I packed my shit and moved all the way to the other side of the country—to the only place someone was willing to give me a second chance.
I came to swim, and though I’m on the team, I don’t want to be Elite. These bros are exactly like the ones I left behind, and I’m not stupid enough to get betrayed again.
But then karma shows up and laughs right in my face.
I slept with my coach’s daughter.
Because of course I fucking did.
And though she calls to me like a siren, that night was just a distraction. A one-time thing.
Until she shows up at Daddy’s pool as the assistant coach. Now the very girl I can’t get off my mind is the one just declared off-limits.
Naturally, my heart decides it can’t beat without her jade stare, sassy mouth, and car that cruises so slow it uses a calendar as a speedometer.
Now I’m at the top of Coach’s shit list, and everything I left in Cali comes knocking at my door. With Landry’s safety on the line, I won’t just roll over and take it. This time, I’ll put up a fight.
There’s no telling what I’ll do or how far I’ll go to make sure Landry isn’t punished for standing by my side. When things get dangerous, I know this wildcard can’t play this game alone.
Because even if trusting people doesn’t come easy… loving her does.
Cambria Hebert is a bestselling novelist of more than fifty titles. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. Besides writing, Cambria loves a pumpkin spice latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching K drama until her eyes won’t stay open. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chihuahuas (the real bosses of the house). Cambria has written in many genres, including new adult, sports romance, male/male romance, sci-fi, thriller, suspense, contemporary romance, and young adult. Many of her titles have been translated into foreign languages and have been the recipients of multiple awards.
Awards Cambria has received include:
Author of the Year 2016 (UtopiaCon2016)
The Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Series of 2015 (UtopiaCon 2015)
#Nerd: Best Contemporary Book Cover of 2015 (UtopiaCon 2015)
Romeo from the Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Lead (UtopiaCon 2015)
#Nerd: Top 50 Summer Reads (Buzzfeed.com 2015)
The Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Series of 2016 (UtopiaCon 2016)
#NERD Book Trailer: Best Book Trailer of 2016 (UtopiaCon 2016)
#Nerd Book Trailer: Top 50 Most Cinematic Book Trailers of All Time (film-14.com)
#Nerd: Book Most Wanted to be Adapted to Screen: (2018)
Amnesia: Mystery Book of the Year (2018)
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.
You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her website:
The Dad’s Best Friend series features deliciously forbidden steamy age gap instalove romances from bestselling authors. Perfect short romances to gobble up, with all the spice you love!
OBSESSED WITH MY DAD'S BEST FRIEND
BY CASSIE CASSELL
Whitney
I’ve always been obsessed with Maddox… the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.
The problem? He’s my dad’s best friend.
The solution? He needs help with promoting the boutique hotel he just bought, and I happen to be one of the most prestigious lifestyle digital influencers in Dallas.
My plan is to use our time working together to show him, well, how good we can be… together. In the sheets and out of them.
Maddox
Taking this hotel off the ground has been a challenge… but working alongside my best friend’s daughter is an impossible task.
She’s hot as hell, yes. But she’s off-limits.
I’ve managed to keep her at a distance for many years, and now it won’t be any different.
Except I’m spending so much time around her, I quickly realize that it’s not just her advances I have to dodge… but my own.
Popstar Cheyanne "Chy" Phillips, once part of the hottest pop diva group, finds herself facing a sudden downfall when a fellow member's ambition leads to the group's breakup. Determined to escape the drama and lead a normal life, Cheyanne returns home to Indigo Falls, for her best friend’s wedding, seeking solace and peace.
However, her dreams of tranquility are shattered when she discovers that someone is attempting to sell compromising photos of her online.
In a twist of fate, Adrian Carter, her father's best friend, steps in to help. Unbeknownst to Cheyanne, her childhood crush on Adrian intensifies into a burning desire as he takes on the role of her protector. With a military background, Adrian is determined to catch those who seek to exploit his best friend's daughter and salvage Cheyanne's reputation.
Bound by his duty to protect Cheyanne, Adrian finds himself caught in a web of desire and uncertainty, questioning his own motives and feelings.
Amidst the looming threat and their growing attraction, Cheyanne and Adrian must navigate the treacherous waters of trust, betrayal, and hidden agendas. Can they find love in the midst of chaos? Or will their forbidden desires jeopardize everything they hold dear?
What’s a woman to do when the man she loves is being a silly, stubborn fool? Take him head-on…
Kingston Lewis is the one for me. I know it… he knows it… and if he wasn’t so stubborn, the entire world would know it by now. I should be Cabella Lewis, a renowned artist instead of Cabella Abbott, a struggling college student. The artist thing is doable, but marrying Kingston? This is proving to be harder than expected.
He insists on saying that we can’t be together. That it wouldn’t be appropriate or some nonsense like that. The list of reasons he gives is short and frustrating; he’s the dean at my college, almost double my age, and lastly… he just so happens to be my dad’s best friend.
But if Kingston thinks his weak arguments will keep me from loving him, he is sorely mistaken. I plan on making that man mine, no matter what. After all, I am my father’s daughter; he didn’t make a name for himself by taking no for an answer. And I won’t find my happily ever after by accepting excuses.
What’s a man to do when the woman he loves is untouchable? Avoid her at all costs…
Cabella Abbott is the bane of my existence. She’s brash, persistent and a constant thorn in my side. She’s also beautiful, smart, and talented. And the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. But unfortunly for me what we want isn’t always what we can have.
Too many obstacles stand in our way; our age difference, the fact that I’m in charge of her academic career. But mainly it is her father that keeps us apart. He’s one of my best friends and it wouldn’t be honorable to steal his little girl away... even if said girl is now a grown woman with curves for days.
The best thing for me to do is to avoid her and hide away in my office until she gives up on this crazy notion of us being together. But Cabella isn’t one to take no for an answer and I’m running out of hiding places… and resolve.
Loving Cabella is part of the Dad’s Best Friend series, featuring deliciously forbidden steamy age gap instalove romances.
My dad’s gorgeous best friend has a special appendage that can pop BOTH my cherries at once. Say what? Yes, it’s true!
Leah:
I’ve known Killian for ages. He’s my dad’s buddy from college, and the gorgeous alpha male is mouthwateringly handsome, with dark blue eyes, the physique of an Olympian, and a white grin that flashes whenever we make eye contact.
Even better, there are no secrets. Killian is my dad’s best friend, and I’ve known every detail about him my entire life …
Or so I think.
Because the older man is special down there. He’s not just well-endowed, or even insanely large (although of course, that’s true too). Instead, the older man has TWO of what makes women happy.
How is this even anatomically possible?
Are we in a fantasy land?
Nonetheless, it means double the pleasure…
Double the fun…
And most importantly …
Killian’s going to pop BOTH my cherries at once using his special tool!
We’ve gone straight to La-La-Land and we’re not coming back! This book is a load of fun where Leah samples the forbidden with an older man who has secrets that he’s not afraid to share with the innocent young girl. Do you like getting lost in steamy, naughty romance with the man of your dreams? How about if he has TWO of what you desire most in life? That’s what I thought hehehe! Bring a big glass of lemonade because you’ll need it for the wild ride ahead. This book is a follow-up to 2 Obsessed with The Brat, The Prince and His Bodyguards, and A Curvy Girl for the Prince, but all of my books are standalones and do not need to be read in order. This book is part of the Dad’s Best Friend series, featuring deliciously forbidden steamy age gap instalove romances. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and always an HEA.
The next thing I knew, I was on a cross-country drive to New Hampshire where I’d be moving in to look after Scottie until I could get him into a group home.
The last thing I ever expected?
I wouldn’t be taking care of him alone.
Josh Mathers, my fiance’s best friend—who also happened to be my sworn enemy—insisted he was the better person for the job. He told me to go back to California, and I told him where he could stick that demand.
Our disdain for each other wasn’t anything new. It dated back to a text I’d accidentally read years ago.
We hated each other. But we both loved Scottie, so neither of us budged.
Now we were living together in a tiny house—with one available bedroom. Thank goodness it was only temporary.
Over time, I realized the broody jerk I thought I knew was different than I’d imagined.
I found myself slowly growing attached to someone I once considered the enemy…and growing attracted to him.
Sure, both of us were guilt-ridden over Brad. We were also two grown people with pent-up frustration toward one another—stuck in a cabin in the woods.
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 over two
million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author
of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen
languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
From USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR Xavier Neal comes a laugh-out-loud, summer holiday romantic comedy novella!
Tucker Frost is a sweet and thoughtful husband who just wants a fun family vacation away from their very busy lives.
And June Frost?
Well, she's his optimistic and overly organized wife who just so happens to be holding onto a secret.
But not on purpose.
Will this small-town getaway lead to more love and laughter between this art-loving couple or will it simply create more headaches and arguments for the world-traveling pair?
About Xavier Neal
Xavier Neal is a best-selling romance author who enjoys hopping from sub-genre to sub-genre like a game of Hopscotch she can't resist.
In between writing, she loves to read (everything from romance to self-improvement books), watch movies (old and new), eat too much Tex-Mex (her Chuy's t-shirt collection is out of control), and watch AHL hockey games LIVE (preferably against the glass whenever possible).
She currently resides happily in Texas with her bearded husband "Lumberjack”.
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