New Audiobook Release Review: Crooked by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

 

Title: Crooked

Authors: Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Bodyguard, Close Proximity

Mafia Daughter, Forbidden

Release Date: March 29, 2026

BLURB

A new, sexy standalone novel from New York Times Bestsellers, Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward…

 

The last thing I needed was a live-in bodyguard. And I definitely didn’t want him. Six foot two, with broad shoulders that were impossible to ignore and a talent for getting in my way, Wes Callahan was a walking bad decision.

 

But when you’re the daughter of a notorious mob boss, apparently your opinions stop mattering the moment your father ignites another war. I’d spent my entire life trying to escape that crooked world—new name, new city, newfound freedom. At least until I was suddenly shacked up with my new bodyguard. 

 

Wes knew exactly how to push my buttons. He was also infuriatingly protective. And smart. And funny. And thoughtful when he thought I wasn’t paying attention.  Little by little, the walls I’d built started to crack, and falling for the bodyguard became the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done. Because if my father found out, Wes wouldn’t just lose his job. He’d lose his life. 

 

Getting involved with him was reckless, yet I couldn’t find a way to stop it, no matter how hard I tried.  But while I was busy losing my heart, the man who took it was hiding a secret. 

And it turned out, the most dangerous man in my life wasn’t my father after all—it was the one who threatened to break my heart.

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

My review: 5 stars!

There's really no one other than the writing duo of Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward that I'd add a "mafia" shelf for. Since they are at the top of my favorite writers list, I figured why not give it a try? I was sure it wasn't going to be a typical dark mafia romance, and I was glad to see their trademark blend of humor and heat was the star of the show. I listened to duet-style audiobook and enjoyed every minute! Screenwriter Juliette and bodyguard Wes clashed from the very beginning, but their chemistry was hard to deny and their story was so good. Maybe I'll add some more books to my mafia shelf!

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE

ALTERNATIVE COVER PAPERBACK

AUDIOBOOK

VI KEELAND

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

FACEBOOK

PROFILE / PAGE / GROUP

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK

X

GOODREADS

PENELOPE WARD

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 millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK GROUP

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK

X

GOODREADS

New Release Review: Taylor's Father by Penelope Ward

 

Title: Taylor's Father

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Age Gap (17 Years), Best Guy Friend's Father

Single Dad, Forbidden, Second Chance

Protective Hero, Sassy Heroine

Release Date: February 22, 2026

BLURB

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…

When my best friend Taylor gifted me a vacation at a resort owned by his grandparents, the last thing I expected was to bond with a man seventeen years older.

Tate was also vacationing alone.

He’d come to Midnight Key to clear his head and reevaluate his life.

I’d come to get over my high school sweetheart who’d dumped me.

I’d spotted the brawny, tattooed Adonis in the lobby on the first day and thought he had to be someone’s hot dad.

But then we matched on an app that paired single men and women by proximity.

The problem was? At nineteen—almost twenty—I’d lied and said I was twenty-nine.

Tate outed me on our first date, and I fessed up to my real age.

But we continued to run into each other.

And eventually we found our connection was too magnetic to deny.

While we agreed to only use first names and to part ways at the end of the trip, I’d really fallen for Tate.

I never forgot him and knew he was the one who got away.

Remember that guy friend who gifted me the trip?

Well, four years later, Taylor got married.

He’d been estranged from his dad for years, though recently they’d reconnected.

What I didn’t know was that the man I’d had that torrid affair with at the resort would be standing next to Taylor in the receiving line.

My dream man Tate? Was Taylor’s father.

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

PURCHASE LINKS

$3.99 for a limited time!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

FREE to read in Kindle Unlimited

 

ALSO AVAILABLE

 

AUDIO

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

 

A model-cover paperback will be live on release day.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

17-YEAR AGE GAP

BEST GUY FRIEND'S FATHER

SINGLE DAD

FORBIDDEN

SECOND CHANCE

PROTECTIVE HERO

SASSY HEROINE

My review: 5 stars!

Author Penelope Ward is one of my favorites, and I absolutely loved Taylor's Father. Age gap is not a trope I seek out, but this was so well done and such a great story that I am glad I didn't miss this one. It was messy, complicated, and such a fantastic tale. I listened to the audiobook, done in duet by Andi Arndt and Jason Clarke and I enjoyed their performances so much.

AUTHOR BIO

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 millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK
FACEBOOK GROUP
INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK
X

OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD

SEE ALL BOOKS HERE

New Release Review: Denim & Diamonds by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland

 

Title: Denim & Diamonds

Authors: Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 27, 2025

BLURB

When the board of directors of my company mandated that I go to a wellness facility in small-town Maine to recharge, that shouldn’t have included:

1.) Using a ladder to sneak out of the bedroom window at night and going to the local bar.

2.) Getting so drunk that the bar owner brought me upstairs to sleep it off in his bed.

3.) Waking up staring at the taxidermy moose head on said bar owner’s wall.

4.) Falling for said bar owner who was the most drop-dead gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.

But Brock Hawkins was so much more than just the hot bar owner. He owned half the town, built log cabins with his bare hands, and was apparently the most eligible man in all of Meadowbrook.

He was also a cinnamon roll despite his seemingly rock-hard exterior.

And the last man I should’ve been falling for—because my time in this small town was limited.

I had to head back to my life in New York City, one that was the complete opposite from the kind Brock lived.

He was denim. I was diamonds.

The problem was, the sexy lumberjack wasn’t the type of man who was easy to walk away from. Hell, I couldn’t even part with his plaid shirt that had become a constant fixture wrapped around my shoulders most days, let alone think about erasing him from my life.

A life with Brock, though, would have to be all or nothing.

Go big or go home.

I just didn’t realize that choosing to go big might also mean getting my heart broken when Brock’s life took a turn neither of us saw coming.

My review: 5 stars!

I love the writing duo of Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland so much- their books are always full of heart and heat and the best characters. February and Brock's story was one that kept me totally entranced and I had a hard time pausing the audiobook (fantastically narrated by fan favorites Teddy Hamilton and Andi Arndt) to do life. Although I did suspect what the plot twist might be, it was still done so well and the ending was just *chef's kiss* perfect. Looking forward to their next book!

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE

AUDIO

ALTERNATIVE COVER PAPERBACK

PENELOPE WARD

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 millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK GROUP

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK

X

GOODREADS

VI KEELAND

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

FACEBOOK

PROFILE / PAGE / GROUP

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK

X

GOODREADS

New Release Review: Indiscretion by Vi Keeland

 

Title: Indiscretion

Author: Vi Keeland

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 13, 2025

BLURB

He's her boss. She's his greatest temptation.

The first time I met Dawson Reed, we wound up in bed.

The problem was, neither of us knew the other were there.

When I woke up in the middle of the night and found a stranger next to me, instinct kicked in and I attacked the intruder.

Only it turned out, the man wasn’t an intruder at all.

Dawson had rented this cabin, too. Apparently, a system glitch allowed a duplicate booking.

We’d soon find out we were in town for the same wedding, and Dawson was the groomsman I’d been warned about. He was as tall, dark and jaw-droppingly gorgeous as my best friend had described. Though she was also right when she’d said you two will hate each other.

When daylight rolled around, Dawson and I attempted to straighten out the mess we found ourselves in. But it proved to be more difficult than we initially thought. Since it was a holiday weekend, there wasn’t a single room available for more than fifty miles.

I suppose things could be worse than sharing a cabin for a weekend with a handsome man you despise.

Like maybe him winding up being your new boss?

ADD TO GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE IN PRINT

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

My review: 5 stars!

I loved every moment of Naomi and Dawson's story! I love how author Vi Keeland can create such unique situations for her heroes and heroines! Once I dive into one of her books, I literally cannot put it down- I get so engrossed and interested in the characters and dying to know how they get their happily ever after. I smiled and swooned and laughed and enjoyed it so much! Naomi's dog and Dawson's turtle were delightful side characters and I also felt Naomi's sister and her niece and nephew were written so well, and their part of the story was important and handled so masterfully. Everything coming full circle for Dawson was a perfect and emotional ending.

AUTHOR BIO

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK

PROFILE / PAGE / GROUP

WEBSITE

TIKTOK

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

GOODREADS

Narrator Reveal: My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely

 

It's Christmas time and I'm fake dating my billionaire boss!

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a sexy, standalone holiday romance, MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE! This spicy, small town, fake dating, billionaire, single dad, office romance will have you rocking around (or under…) the Christmas tree! Releasing November 14th in all formats, and free to read in Kindle Unlimited, this audiobook is coming to you in the form of a full-cast audio production of MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE with 11 amazing actors! Jason Clarke and Samantha Brentmoor perform this holiday romance in duet with a full cast of your favorite narrators including Andi Arndt, Connor Crais, Vanessa Edwin, Andi Eloise, Teddy Hamilton, Erin Mallon, Noah B. Perez, Shakira Shute and Ryan West. Stay tuned for the audio pre-order in early November!

✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/MyFavoriteHolidateAMZ
✦ Audible ➜ Sign up for an alert: http://www.subscribepage.com/LaurenAudio

About MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE (Coming 11/14/2024):

Wanted: one hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous when you kiss me under the mistletoe at all the holiday parties. Bonus points if you make him cry. 

To my surprise my billionaire boss is more than up for the challenge of coming down the chimney as my holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one at a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and I’m the maid of honor. 

And since my ex is in the wedding party too, my boss and I team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season, including during the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.

But soon staying up late to string the best popcorn balls ever turns into a scorching night in his arms where the chestnuts aren’t the only thing roasting on the open fire. 

Can all these winter wonderland nights seeking revenge turn into the real thing when we return to the office? Or are we destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s?

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/MyFavoriteHolidateAMZ
✦ Audible ➜ Sign up for an alert: http://www.subscribepage.com/LaurenAudio

ABOUT LAUREN BLAKELY:

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 cute but spicy. Lauren likes dogs, cake, and show tunes and is the vegetarian at your dinner party. 

Connect w/ Lauren:

Website: laurenblakely.com 

NL Signup: http://laurenblakely.com/newsletter 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/laurenblakelybooks

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenblakelybooks

New Release Audiobook Review: The Accidental Dating Experiment by Lauren Blakely

 

The Accidental Dating Experiment by Lauren Blakely
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was so excited when I saw that Lauren Blakely's latest romantic comedy was included with my Audible membership so I rushed to download it, especially since the narrators were two of my favorites- Andi Arndt and Jacob Morgan. As with all Blakely books, the banter and spice was on point. Juliet and Monroe's chemistry was so great and I loved the setup with the romance podcast cohosts working together on a renovation of a cottage in a darling small town. Narrators Arndt and Morgan were fantastic and added so much to the story for me.

View all my reviews

New Release Review: What Happens at the Lake by Vi Keeland

Title: What Happens at the Lake

Author: Vi Keeland

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Trope: Grumpy-Sunshine

Release Date: January 15, 2024

BLURB

When life took an unexpected turn, I decided to get out of New York for a while. What better place to go than the idyllic small town my father spoke about so fondly when I was growing up? Laurel Lake held the title America’s Friendliest Town for seventeen years running, and friendly was just what I needed right now.

Unfortunately, friendly wasn’t the welcome I got when I arrived.

Instead, I got Fox Cassidy. My tall, dark, and burly neighbor, who grunted at me instead of saying hello.

Okay, so I might’ve had his mailbox in my hands the first time we met. And it might’ve been a little crushed after removing it from under my tire. And I might’ve needed his help breaking into the place I was staying in after the key broke off in the lock. But still…he didn’t have to be so grumpy.

As time went on though, I started to notice things about Fox other than his glares. Like how he watched me when he thought I wasn’t looking, or how fire ignited in his eyes whenever we bickered. Though I was in Laurel Lake to escape my problems, not create new ones. And getting involved with a man like Fox screamed trouble, even if he was gorgeous and unlike any man I’d ever met.

But alas, problem seemed to be my middle name this year. So why not have some fun while I was here for the summer? It seemed like a good plan. At least until it was time to go home…

They say what happens at the lake, stays at the lake. But it’s not so easy to walk away when what stays behind…is your heart.

ADD TO GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY / AUDIOBOOK

SPECIAL EDITION PRINT

My review: 5 stars!

When I saw that two of my favorite narrators, Andi Arndt and Sebastian York, would be narrating Vi Keeland's What Happens at the Lake, I used an Audible credit for a pre-order and downloaded it as soon as I woke up and it was available! Grumpy/sunshine is a trope I always enjoy so it was no surprise that I loved this book so much! Josie and Fox were so good together! I loved how they met and began to spend time together. All the nosy small town characters were such a hoot! The narration by Arndt and York was fantastic as always.

AUTHOR BIO

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK

PROFILE / PAGE / GROUP

WEBSITE

TIKTOK

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

GOODREADS

OTHER BOOKS BY VI

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY / AUDIOBOOK

PAPERBACK

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY / AUDIOBOOK

PAPERBACK