The Art of Almost Losing It
Alina Jacobs
(The Richmond Brothers, #3)
Publication date: August 4th 2026
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

There comes a time in every almost-thirty-year-old woman’s life when getting kidnapped off the street is preferable to admitting that the hot, rich boyfriend you’ve been bragging about for months does not, in fact, exist.

Yes, it’s terrifying being stuffed in the trunk of a Mercedes, but I would rather be locked in a stranger’s penthouse than sleeping on the floor of my parents’ apartment like the loser daughter I am.

Honestly?
It’s nice to get some alone time. And my own bathroom.

He bribes me with money not to call the police.

I scream at him for forcing me to go to brunch as his prisoner at the hottest restaurant in New York.

Now everyone in my parents’ aggressively posh Manhattan neighborhood thinks we’re dating.

Buckle up, buddy.
I have a full wedding itinerary to attend, and congratulations—you’re my fake boyfriend.

Unfortunately, my kidnapper is the worst fake boyfriend in the history of fake boyfriends.

He’s mean.
Aloof.
Emotionally unavailable.
And deeply offended by how much time I spend on my phone.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to ignore how yummy he smells, all muscular and tall as he fumes next to me in bed, furious because I asked him when the sexy portion of the kidnapping is going to happen.

It’s a fair question, though, right?!? I thought kidnapping came with benefits!

Guess my kidnapper didn’t want me that much after all.

Men lying about their desire for a relationship. Story of my life.

Now I’m trapped.
He’s miserable.

And somehow, this is starting to feel dangerously like a relationship.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

The one time a hot guy shows interest in me… and he’s a violent kidnapper.

My screams cut off as he tosses in my laptop case. It lands on my ribs, knocking the breath out of me. He shoves my legs fully into the trunk, then tosses in the barking Lulu, then slams the door.

I assume it’s a mistake.

The expensive German car. The bespoke suit. The cologne that smells like money and expensive scotch—Men like him don’t grab women like me.

So why did he just shove me, in all my pizza-sauce-stained, Costco-clothes glory, into the trunk?

I needed a boyfriend, sure, but I did not expect him to arrive via a felony crime.

The engine purrs.

Wait.

Am I really being kidnapped?

Like… for real?

Sleet rattles against the roof as the realization hits.

Oh.

Oh no.

I’m trapped in the trunk of a stranger’s car. A dangerous man. Being driven God knows where.

Sure, he’s attractive—but that is deeply unhelpful information right now.

I’ll never see my family again. Never eat a dollar slice of pizza again—

Wait.

I squint.

Window.

This isn’t a sedan. This is an SUV.

I’m not trapped.

I haul myself up and pop my head over the back seat.

“You’re a crappy kidnapper!” I scream.

“Shit!” he yells—and nearly plows into a parked truck. “You—!”

The car jerks to a stop at a stop sign. He throws it into park and starts climbing over the seats toward me.

“You can’t kidnap me,” I say, panic creeping in. “You don’t want me. I’m not a girl anyone kidnaps.”

My dog barks.

Emerald-green eyes catch the light.

“Sit down,” he commands.

“My mom is going to be really upset if I don’t come home tonight,” I blurt. “Let me go.”

The doors lock.

I fumble in my purse. Find my pepper spray.

“Yes!” I whisper. “I’m a strong, independent —”

I spray… myself.

“Water,” I gasp, coughing, wheezing, blind.

I suck in a lungful of peppery air and yank at the door handle, begging it to open.

Too late.

“Stupid fucking girl,” he snarls, grabbing my jacket and dragging me forward.

“You didn’t even handcuff me!” I wheeze.

He pauses. “You really don’t know when to shut up, do you?”

He loosens his tie.

I gulp.

“I cannot believe,” he sneers, “that I kidnapped the most unattractive woman in Manhattan.”

Oh.

So… not the future love of my life after all.

Author Bio:

I write the kind of books I love—romantic comedies featuring snarly guys with hearts of gold, kick-ass heroines, and a swoon-worthy happily ever after! Also wine. And cupcakes.

When I’m not writing I can be found drinking tea, surrounded by my massive to-be-read pile! So many books...

You can connect with me on social media or find information on my books at my website.

Sign up for my newsletter so that you can get information about new releases, giveaways, and more!

http://alinajacobs.com/mailinglist.html

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The Art of Almost Losing It Blitz

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The Clawed Chronicles, Book 1

Fantasy

Date Published: February 1, 2026

Shipwrecked on her way to an arranged marriage, Lyliana McKenzie discovers that her rescuers are not the saviours she thought them to be. Amidst the dangers of a pirate coup, she must find a way to keep herself safe with the help of only a pixie and one pirate captain. After a failed escape attempt leads her to discover what she thinks are gems, she begins to realise that the stories she heard as a child might not be all just fantasy.

As Lyliana collects more allies, dark forces rise around her creating yet more enemies, both at home and in the pirate camp. Despite these hardships, her desire to escape becomes marred by newfound power and her mirky path grows complicated. Will she honour her family and friends, or will she accept this new life of hardship and adversity?

 

About the Author

I was born and grew up in Leicestershire, UK where I have lived my whole life before joining the Merchant Navy at 18. I achieved my dream of becoming a Master Mariner and held the post of captain for more than ten years, working mostly on the West coast of Africa and the North Sea. Since before my sea career I have loved writing. It gives me great pleasure to share my creativeness with the world, but that is just gravy on top of meeting another life goal. During my off hours I write, read and, occasionally do the odd degree by distance learning. To date, I have master's degrees in Creative Writing and Environment, Health and Safety from the Open University and Sunderland University respectively. My other main interest is tropical fishkeeping though I have yet to write a story about them.

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Title: Eternal Craving

Series: Eternal Desires Book 1

Author: Vanessa Fewings

Genre/Tropes: Forbidden Love; Enemies-to-Lovers; Vampire Hunter x Vampire; Human x Vampire; Star-Crossed Lovers; Fated Love; Obsessive Devotion; Eternal Love

Release Date: August 5, 2026

Cover Design: Stuart Bache

Publisher: Vinci Books

Immortality was my rebirth. Eternity may become my damnation.

I crossed Spain and England hunting the men who destroyed my life and left me hollow with grief and rage. Then she found me. Sunaria was darkness and temptation wrapped in immortal beauty, a woman with ancient secrets and the power to transform me into something terrifying. Reborn as a creature of blood, hunger, and ruthless power, I now walk a brutal hidden world where vengeance is survival and love is the most dangerous weakness of all.

Revenge brought me back from death. It may cost me what little humanity I have left.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from Blossom’s Bookshelf - “The chemistry is believable, the emotional moments are genuinely moving, and because the characters are so richly developed, every loss and every victory carries real weight. I laughed, I smiled and, yes... I cried.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Goodreads Review - “...gritty, emotional and honestly devastating in places. This was fantastic honestly and I am so glad it's not a standalone because I need moreeee!!

Vanessa is a British-American, internationally bestselling author of the Enthrall Sessions and the Eternal Desires series, an epic vampire romance. Her novels blend romance, emotion, and intrigue, earning readers around the world and translations into multiple languages.

Known for creating compelling characters and emotionally rich stories, Vanessa has also seen two of her novels optioned for film.

She lives in California with her rescue foxhound, Sherlock.

 

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Title: Tell It To The Waves

Author: C.L. Reeder

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Second Chance Romance; She Bakes; Coastal Setting; Small Town; All Grown Up

Release Date: August 4, 2026

I swore I would never return to Driftwood Bay.

But eight years later, the tides have brought me home to salt-worn piers, familiar shorelines, a town that once felt like everything, and to August Cove, the last piece of my past that the undertow won’t release. Where memories will crash against the present and I must decide whether Driftwood Bay is somewhere I can finally let go of… or somewhere I was never meant to leave behind.

She was swept out like a ship to sea, gone without a trace. Or at least that’s how it felt. But now she’s back, all these years later, the woman who broke my heart in ways that never truly healed.

And in Driftwood Bay, the sea always has a way to bring lost things home.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Goodreads Review - “The feeling behind this story is beautiful. I felt all the emotions at the same time and I loved every word, every page, and every moment of this book.”

C.L. Reeder lives in Texas with her childhood sweetheart, their two grown-ish kids, and an unsettling number of animals. Crimson Fate was her debut novel—and the first offering in what she hopes will be a long line of dark tales.

When she isn’t writing, she’s wandering thrift stores, yard sales, and coffee shops, drawn to the forgotten and the strange. A lover of all things witchy and a collector of dead things, she finds beauty where others might look away.

When not working, she can usually be found at home with her husband, searching endlessly for something to watch… or for the vape that’s vanished yet again.

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