Woot woot! I’m thrilled to learn that Jojo and Lana’s story is a finalist in the Contemporary Romance Writers Stiletto Contest. This is the biggest contest in our genre, and I’m so honored that my peers chose Sweet Slow Sizzle as an outstanding contemporary romance. Cue the fireworks!

This story holds a special place in my heart. Throughout the whole Bangers Tavern series, hunky bouncer Jojo’s been pining for sassy server Lana, but he never got a chance to declare his love until Book 4 because Lana’s been preoccupied with keeping her little family together. After losing their parents in a tragic auto accident, Lana’s had to fight to keep her teen brothers together in the only home they’ve ever known while her uptight aunties try to separate the boys “for their own good.”

Though she’s fond of the ginormous jokester, she can’t risk introducing Jojo into her precarious situation. It’s up to Jojo to prove he can not only be trusted as a role model for the boys, but also that his love is big enough to embrace every complicated bit of Lana’s messy life.

And does he ever! Check out this steamy snippet of their first kiss in Lana’s childhood tree house:

He closed the distance slowly. His thick, curly lashes lowered. His breath teased her skin. When his soft lips finally pressed to hers, pleasure flowed through her veins, warm and heavy, melting her last shreds of resistance. She relaxed on a sigh, and his tongue swept into her mouth in a dance of velvet heat and unbearable sweetness.

“Lana,” he murmured, pulling back to gaze deep into her lust-blurred eyes. “I knew you’d be delicious.” He nipped at her lower lip, then soothed the swollen flesh with languid licks.

She wound her arms around his neck and pressed her aching breasts to his chest.

The kiss went on and on, a slow, sensuous exploration that made her want to weep and sing and devour this amazing man. Her whole world contracted to their fused mouths, their shared breath—until, with a hungry growl, he pulled her onto his lap. Giddy with pleasure, she caressed his smooth, shaved head. His skin was softer and silkier than she’d expected, unlike the enormous erection prodding her hip—but he paid it no mind, patiently caressing her as if handling something rare and breakable. One broad hand moved to cup her nape. The other massaged the small of her back in slow circles.

She stroked his shoulders, chest, back, mapping the slope and curve and solid muscle of him. His heart hammered beneath her palm. He tasted of mint and fruit. His soft moan stirred a whirlwind in her belly and flooded her sex. Shooting stars zinged behind her eyelids. She kept them tightly closed, afraid to end the dream, this precious gift of living completely in the moment. No thinking, just feeling.

Downstairs, a door slammed. “Cool car.” Leo’s voice rang out. “Lana? You up there?”

Jojo released her, looking as breathless and dazzled as she felt. “What do you want me to do?”

She sighed as her rosy cloud of pleasure dissipated. “Looks like we’ve been caught.”

(In case the button doesn’t work: https://books2read.com/SweetSlowSizzle )