New Release Review: The Drummer's Heart by Penelope Ward

 

Title: The Drummer's Heart

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Rockstar Hero/"My Wife"/Small Town

Close Proximity/Slow Burn/One Bed

Release Date: February 23, 2025

BLURB

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

Don’t say her name.

That was the one rule my bandmates followed, because they knew how much it messed me up to think about her, especially on tour.

My ex, Nicole.

The one who got away and the woman who still owned every piece of my heart.

After our divorce, I threw myself into the rock scene, trying to forget my heartbreak.

Three years after we split, a phone call from Nicole changed everything.

She told me her grandmother wasn’t doing well.

Mimi was still family to me, and she apparently had one wish before dying: to spend time with us—Nicole and me.

With Mimi’s caretaker away on vacation, it would be the ideal time for us to move in with her for a couple of weeks.

Of course, I couldn’t refuse.

But there was a catch.

Nicole apparently never told her that we’d gotten a divorce.

She hadn’t believed Mimi could handle it, because her grandmother loved me so much.

So, not only would I have to see Nicole again, but I’d be pretending to still be her husband.

Two weeks in a tiny house in a small town with the woman who broke my heart. Or was it me who broke hers?

It was complicated.

And it was about to be a heck of a lot more complicated sharing one bed in the guest room with a woman who wasn’t mine anymore.

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

PURCHASE LINKS

Only $3.99 for a limited time and 

FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

AUDIOBOOK

Model Paperback and Hardcovers also available!

Read the first standalone in this series, The Rocker’s Muse FREE in KU and binge this complete duology!

https://amzn.to/3E9BdGB

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

ROCKSTAR HERO

"MY WIFE"

SMALL TOWN

CLOSE PROXIMITY

SLOW BURN

ONE BED

My review: 5 stars

After reading The Rocker's Muse and loving it, I was so excited to dive into The Drummer's Heart and get Atticus and Nicole's story. This story was so well balanced - there was heat and heart and just the right amount of angst. I adored Mimi and how her situation brought them back together. I was able to listen to an advance audiobook, and Sebastian York and Angelina Rocca were excellent. 

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
TWITTER

OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD

NOW ALL AVAILABLE TO READ IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AUDIOBOOK

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AUDIOBOOK

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AUDIOBOOK

SEE ALL BOOKS HERE

Excerpt Reveal: The Drummer's Heart by Penelope Ward

 

Title: The Drummer's Heart

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Rockstar Hero/"My Wife"/Small Town

Close Proximity/Slow Burn/One Bed

Release Date: February 23, 2025

BLURB

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

Don’t say her name.

That was the one rule my bandmates followed, because they knew how much it messed me up to think about her, especially on tour.

My ex, Nicole.

The one who got away and the woman who still owned every piece of my heart.

After our divorce, I threw myself into the rock scene, trying to forget my heartbreak.

Three years after we split, a phone call from Nicole changed everything.

She told me her grandmother wasn’t doing well.

Mimi was still family to me, and she apparently had one wish before dying: to spend time with us—Nicole and me.

With Mimi’s caretaker away on vacation, it would be the ideal time for us to move in with her for a couple of weeks.

Of course, I couldn’t refuse.

But there was a catch.

Nicole apparently never told her that we’d gotten a divorce.

She hadn’t believed Mimi could handle it, because her grandmother loved me so much.

So, not only would I have to see Nicole again, but I’d be pretending to still be her husband.

Two weeks in a tiny house in a small town with the woman who broke my heart. Or was it me who broke hers?

It was complicated.

And it was about to be a heck of a lot more complicated sharing one bed in the guest room with a woman who wasn’t mine anymore.

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

PRE-ORDER LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AUDIOBOOK

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

Read the first standalone in this series, The Rocker’s Muse FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

https://amzn.to/3E9BdGB

The current paperback pre-order is for the special-edition, floral cover only. A model-cover paperback will be live on release day as well.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

ROCKSTAR HERO

"MY WIFE"

SMALL TOWN

CLOSE PROXIMITY

SLOW BURN

ONE BED

EXCERPT

Copyright © 2024

By Penelope Ward

While she was out of the room, I prepared her coffee just the way she liked it. I’d nearly forgotten just how much I loved taking care of her. I felt nostalgic for a moment as I poured in just the right amount of sugar. But taking care of her wasn’t my job anymore. I couldn’t help enjoying these little moments of delusion, though, while I still had them. In less than two weeks, we’d be apart again, and I’d go back to my life without her. This time here would seem like a dream.

Nicole emerged again wearing a cute, floral dress that was almost worse than her shirt with no bra. It had a low neckline and her beautiful breasts were practically busting out of it. I had to wonder if she’d selected that outfit to torture me. She’d also sprayed on a fresh burst of Egyptian musk. I licked my lips.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize my not wearing underwear was that noticeable.” She looked down at her chest. “I’ll cover up from now on,” she said. But the glimmer in her eye told me she had no real intention of accommodating my request.

Okay. She’s definitely f*cking with me. “You drive me crazy,” I growled under my breath.

Suddenly, my attention was diverted to Mimi’s room. I heard voices. I narrowed my eyes. “Who the hell is here?”

“I don’t know.” Nicole walked down to her grandmother’s room as I followed.

There was a woman standing there talking to Mimi.

“Hi there.” She smiled. “I’m Lori McFadden. I live next door.”

“Oh…” Nicole tilted her head. “Hello.”

“I hope you don’t mind. Adele gave me a key a while back, and I check in on her from time to time. It’s good to see you both. She’s always talking about her granddaughter and grandson-in-law.”

“Aren’t they the most beautiful couple you’ve ever seen?” Mimi beamed.

Nicole looked over at me. I was still fired up by her little dress and wanted an excuse to touch her. I decided to play the part for a moment. “Thank you so much,” I said. “It’s our pleasure to be here with Mimi.” I wrapped my arm around Nicole, bringing her close. She flinched at first but then relaxed her body into mine.

I rubbed my thumb along her waist.

Nicole squirmed and cleared her throat. “I’m sorry if I seemed surprised to see you here, Lori. I didn’t realize she’d given anyone a key.”

“Only recently. Just in case her worker can’t be here or is running late. She has my number if she ever needs me.”

Nicole nodded. “Well, I appreciate that so much.”

I tightened my grip around her waist and pulled her closer. “We appreciate that.”

Nicole looked up at me; her face was beet red, and I f*cking loved it. I leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead. Her eyes were still slightly closed when I pulled back to look at her. As much as I wanted to hang on, I let go and put her out of her misery.

Nicole couldn’t get away fast enough as she rushed past me through the kitchen and into the bedroom. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. “Don’t do that again.”

My stomach sank. It hurt to hear her say that, even if I had crossed the line. “Don’t…what specifically?”

“Touch me.” She lowered her voice. “Don’t touch me again like that.”

That felt like a knife to the heart. “I thought we were pretending to be married,” I whispered. “Married people touch each other.”

Her chest heaved. “Yeah, well, I can’t handle that.”

“Your nipples can’t handle it, at least. They’re hard as f*cking rocks right now. It’s obvious why you don’t want me to touch you, Nicole. It isn’t that you can’t handle it. It’s that you like it. And you don’t want to like it.”

She looked down as her cheeks turned pinker by the second.

My voice was strained. “You tell me not to touch you. And yet you’re intentionally trying to torture me. That f*cking dress. You wore it on purpose because you knew it made your tits look so damn good. And you wanted me to suffer.”

Her gaze lifted to meet mine. “Maybe…”

“You don’t think I’m tortured enough? You put that damn dress on and tell me not to touch you?” I leaned in so she could feel what she was doing to me. “You get off on edging me?” As her breathing became heavier, I inched closer. “You don’t want me to touch you because it makes you feel things you’re trying not to feel? Is that what it is?”

She looked away. “I don’t know…”

I placed my hand on her chin, moving her face to look at me again. “You used to beg me to touch you.”

She licked her lips, and it made me yearn to do the same, to taste her again.

“For the record, Nicole, I will never not be yours to touch. Nor would I be able to pretend for a second that I don’t want you to touch me. You never have to ask permission.” My chest pressed into hers. “You were looking at me our first night here like you wanted to touch me. When I came out of the shower, I could see it in your eyes. Desire. You weren’t happy about it, but it was there. Tell me I’m wrong.”

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
TWITTER

OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD

NOW ALL AVAILABLE TO READ IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AUDIOBOOK

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AUDIOBOOK

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AUDIOBOOK

SEE ALL BOOKS HERE

New Release Review: The Rocker's Muse by Penelope Ward

 

Title: The Rocker's Muse

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Rockstar/15-Year Age Gap/Small Town

Found Family/Slow Burn/Forbidden

Release Date: August 26, 2024

BLURB

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

No one but me knew why I was actually in the California desert that day.

Nestled deep within the desolate, rocky area was a recording studio.

When a door suddenly opened, a man mistook me for someone he was supposed to be interviewing for a job.

The next thing I knew, I was whisked inside.

The position? An assistant on the upcoming tour for one of America’s most famous rock bands.

Pretty exciting opportunity for a twenty-two-year-old, just out of college.

Not surprisingly, I bombed the interview.

When I ended up mistakenly walking into the men’s room on my way out, I struck up a conversation with a stranger—not realizing it was the lead singer, Tristan Daltrey.

He seemed to like the fact that I had no idea who he was, that I saw him as a normal person.

That night, I got a call offering me the job.

So began my complicated story with Tristan.

Millions of women loved him.

Yet for some reason, after the shows, he only wanted to hang out with me.

Late-night talks. Casual dinners in his hotel room.

I wasn’t supposed to be fraternizing with the band’s frontman.

Despite our fifteen-year age difference, Tristan and I had a connection.

But I had a secret.

One that would eventually lead to my leaving the tour.

And one that would lead Tristan and the band straight to the small town where I came from.

ADD TO GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY / PAPERBACK

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

Audiobook coming soon!

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

ROCKSTAR

15-YEAR AGE GAP

SMALL TOWN

FOUND FAMILY

SLOW BURN

FORBIDDEN

My review: 5 stars!

Oh this was so good! Author Penelope Ward always serves up some twists and turns that I don't see coming, and I am always here for it! Tristan and Emily's story made me swoon and their slow burn romance was so worth the wait. This book consumed me and I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to listen to this on audio!

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
TWITTER

OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY / AUDIOBOOK

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY / AUDIOBOOK

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY / AUDIOBOOK

SEE MORE BOOKS HERE

New Release Review: The Girl in the Love Song by Emma Scott

The Girl in the Love Song

by Emma Scott

Release Date: June 7, 2020

At Santa Cruz Central High School, they called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys…

The Girl in the Love Song, book one in the Lost Boys, an interconnected coming-of-age series of standalones, from USA Today bestselling author Emma Scott, is live!

Miller Stratton is a survivor. After a harrowing childhood of poverty, he will do anything it takes to find security for himself and his mom. He’s putting all his hopes and dreams in the fragile frame of his guitar and the beauty he creates with its strings and his soulful voice. 

Until Violet. 

No one expects to meet the love of their life at age thirteen. But the spunky rich girl steals Miller’s heart and refuses to give it back. 

Violet McNamara’s life hasn’t been as simple as it looks. Her picture-perfect family is not so perfect after all. Her best friend Miller is her one constant and she is determined not to ruin their friendship with romantic complications. 

But the heart wants what it wants. As Miller’s star begins to rise to stratospheric heights, what will it take for Violet to realize that she’s the girl in all of his love songs?

The Girl in the Love Song features two original songs written by Emma herself.

Download today or read for free in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UdV79C

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TheGirlintheLoveSongES

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2MLnYhU

My review: 5 stars!

I'm not sure how she does it, but time and time again, Emma Scott writes the most beautiful stories. Each one is unique and so special. The Girl in the Love Song was just as I expected it to be- absolutely fantastic. I was floored by this epic, angsty, friend to lovers tale. The chronicle of Violet and Miller's love begins at age 13, when they meet and form an instantaneous bond. The majority of the book takes place during high school, wrapping up just a few years beyond graduation. The connection between Violet and Miller is so deep and profound and getting to see if develop over the years was breathtaking. This was such an emotional book, one that will stay with me for a while. A must-read!

About Emma:

Emma Scott is an internationally bestselling author whose books have been featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, New York Daily News and USA Today's Happy Ever After. She writes emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and heroes with a heart of gold, you will enjoy her novels.

Connect with Emma:

Amazon author link: https://amzn.to/2yUnFKJ

Webpage: emmascottwrites.com

Facebook: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottFB

Reader group: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottEntourage

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottBB

Instagram: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottIG

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Stay up to date with Emma by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2nTGLf6