OUT NOW: Stalwart Ridge Security: Seamus from USA Today bestselling author Esther E. Schmidt. Get it here here: https://books2read.com/rl/StalwartRidge

Author: Esther E. Schmidt
Cover Design: Esther E. Schmidt
Release Day: April 21, 2026

Stalwart Ridge Security, where protecting the client comes before unraveling the mystery. Each book is an interconnected story featuring a new couple where suspense bleeds into the next story in this completed series.

Seamus - Falling for the woman who now owns a majority of the company wasn’t part of the assignment her father gave me when he was still alive.

Jaxie - I didn’t know I was truly lost, until crucial parts of my past I was unaware of are exposed by a man my father hired to protect me.

Fighting for survival while saving Stalwart Ridge Security becomes a deadly choice for both Seamus and Jaxie. Trusting the wrong person could mean losing everything, especially their last breath. A dangerous challenge for a born and raised protective mountain man, the strong-willed woman he’s assigned to, and the chemistry which will bind them through the forced proximity the assignment demands.

 

Title: Rock Me

Author: Jessica Buss

Genre/Tropes: Small Town - Sexy Geologist/Injured Retired MLB Pitcher - Protector - Opposites Attract - Virgin - True Crime Podcaster - Secret Online Pinup Model - Crochet Queen

Release Date: April 20, 2026

Sharing a heated glance across a crowded bar, they both feel the spark of something monumental. And then life throws a curveball, separating them before they even have a chance to properly meet.

Bryce is a former major league pitcher who retired after a career-ending injury. Still young, he embraces his love of geology, and secures a job in Homer, Alaska. He falls in love with the state, and becomes infatuated with a woman he saw only briefly, who looks strikingly similar to an internet pin-up model he follows.

Craving independence and privacy after high school graduation, Lucinda moved to a small town outside Homer to start living her best life as a true crime podcaster. A virginal introvert with a big heart, she spends her free time crocheting blankets for babies in the NICU. But she’s not as innocent as she appears. She has a secret… She’s a sultry internet pin-up model.

Since exchanging glances that one fateful night, they’ve been pining for each other. Then fate steps in and brings them together in the most unexpected place… on a fishing charter in the middle of Kachemak Bay.

An unlikely pair with intense, unquestioning chemistry, they’re forced to work together, and confront the assumptions they hold about one another.

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Title: Shut Up and Kiss Me

Series: The Last Best Place for Love

Author: Giulia Lagomarsino

Genre: Small Town Romance; Romantic Suspense

Release Date: April 20, 2026

Cover Design: Artscandare

Cover Photographer: R plus M Photo/Reggie Deanching

My life was boring, so I decided to shake it up a bit.

With my life at the ranch changing by the minute, and not for the better, it seemed I would never find any excitement to fill my days.

They say to be careful what you wish for, and I learned that the hard way.

Walking in on a stranger trying on my teal coat, only to find out we slept together, was a shocker.

I didn’t remember a single second of how we met or what happened after.

Neither did he.

But apparently, everyone in town knew our business.

And the secret we were carrying around.

But before I got a chance to tell my new man any of this, things took a strange turn. 

Bullets flying, men attacking every hour of the day, and neither of us had any idea why.

And that was just the bad stuff.

There was an undeniable chemistry between us, and keeping our hands to ourselves turned out to be harder than I thought.

But the infuriating man was insistent on keeping me safe.

And the whole time, all I really wanted to say was Shut Up and Kiss Me.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Goodreads Review - “It's got serious heat, lots of action, and that layer of ridiculousness that Giulia Lagomarsino is known for.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Goodreads Review - “I was glued to my kindle from start to finish of this story. It was hilarious, full of action and drama.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Goodreads Review - “Rob and Krista wake up married in Vegas and that's just the beginning of this clusterf**k. Once again you just have to strap in and enjoy the ride.”

Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amazon Review - "Some of her best writing...Holy cow, this book! I was immediately immersed in Murky Falls! I could not put this book down. Im excited to read the rest of the series!"

Real Good Man ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amazon Review from C. Luna - "Real Good Man by Giulia Lagomarsino is the kind of small-town romance that sneaks past your defenses with humor, heart, and a slow-burn love you didn’t see coming—but end up rooting for with your whole chest."

How Forever Feels ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amazon Review - "This author never fails to entertain. Her characters come to life. You live their emotions. Every. Book is it's own adventure. Next book please!"

I'm a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, "No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book." I didn't think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn't already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven't been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.

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