Blush

Bestseller Hardt (Under) burns up the pages of the kinky friends-to-lovers romance that launches her Black Rose series. Amanda Thomas has been in love with her childhood best friend, Jackson Paris, for years, but he only sees her as innocent “Mandy Cake”—or so she thinks. Really, Jackson’s fighting himself to keep his hands off Mandy, convinced that she would never accept the BDSM bedroom activities he enjoys. Spurred by her sister’s engagement, inexperienced Mandy decides that she’s ready to embrace her inner bad girl and learn to be sexually adventurous, so she signs up for a hookup-oriented dating app. Hoping to dissuade Mandy from a path he sees as dangerous, Jackson poses as a stranger (disguised by a mask and a bad accent) and brings Mandy to the exclusive Black Rose Underground BDSM club. Jackson is convinced Mandy will bolt and reconsider using the app—but, instead, she’s turned on and eager to experiment (and she’s known it was Jackson all along). Hardt does a fine job of balancing heat and emotion as both Mandy and Jackson adjust to their changing relationship. This red-hot tale will have readers fanning themselves. (Feb.)