Grumpy Playboy Next Door

A weekend of socializing at a beach house? Will Stafford's worst nightmare. Yet he's agreed to fake a relationship with his best friend's little sister for a couples' getaway... I'm a pretty simple guy. When I'm not writing a science fiction novel, I'm watching a good movie or reading a book. Alone. I like my reclusive life. That is, until my only friend asks for a favor—pretend to be his baby sister's boyfriend on a couples' vacation. Her ex is going to be there and she needs me as a buffer. I should have said no, but Naomi Kwan is bubbly, energetic, and beautiful. She also means everything to her brother. But now, our fake romance is starting to feel all too real, and I find myself stuck between the promise I made to my friend and risking my heart to the one woman who might actually get me… * * * Jackie Lau writes soft and steamy romances with Asian characters, all set in Canada. KEYWORDS: interracial romance, grumpy hero, fake dating, fake relationship, best friend's sibling, best friend's little sister, opposites attract, grumpy sunshine, beach vacation, rom-com, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, Asian heroine, steamy romance, spicy rom-com, open door, Canadian romance, happy ending, guaranteed HEA, no cliffhangers, freebie FOR FANS OF: Helen Hoang, Cathy Yardley, Chloe Liese, Olivia Dade, Talia Hibbert, Kate Canterbary, Sarina Bowen, and Pippa Grant

I, Tillie Jean Rock, am not in love with my brother's teammate. Sure, he might have those biceps and that "I am the grouchiest of grouchy bears" smolder, and he might shovel snow off his driveway next door wearing nothing but boxer shorts and rubber boots, and he might be running a side business feeding all the stray goats in town, but studliness is only skin-deep. And I might flirt with him every chance I get, but I swear it's only to annoy my brother. And him. Because Max Cole? Under all of those glorious muscles and chiseled cheekbones and searing glares beats the heart of a heartless devil. I could no sooner fall in love with a guy who treats me like a kid, and judges me at every opportunity, and sets an army of garden gnomes loose on my yard, than I could fall in love with my grandfather's pet parrot. But I can definitely annoy him. I can one hundred percent get on board with annoying him. That's what you do when you don't like your neighbor, right? But you know what they say about love and hate... It's a very thin line. Especially when the real reason I'm not in love with Max Cole-that he's incapable of love-might not be true at all. The Grumpy Player Next door is a fun-filled enemies-to-lovers romcom featuring a ray of sunshine on a mission, an athlete who's only grouchy around her, and an epic prank gone wrong. It stands alone and comes complete with small-town shenanigans, a goat who's not nearly as wise as his name suggests, and proof that sometimes, love is the best kind of vengeance.

A soft and steamy holiday romance series by Jackie Lau! After his family’s matchmaking extravaganza at Thanksgiving, high school teacher Zach Wong is terrified of what his parents might do for Chinese New Year. Surely they’ll try to set him up yet again, especially now that his older brothers are in relationships. Zach, however, has no interest in dating, not since his fiancée left him. The solution? Find a fake girlfriend to avoid his parents’ matchmaking. Jo MacGregor, the town dentist, is the obvious choice. They both live in Mosquito Bay and have been friends for years, ever since they bonded over broken engagements. A few kisses and dates around town, and everyone will believe they’re in a relationship. No problem. Except their fake relationship is starting to feel more and more real… * * * This is the third book in a series of novellas about the Wong siblings. Each one features a different holiday. Book 1: A Match Made for Thanksgiving Book 2: A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas Book 3: A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year Book 4: A Big Surprise for Valentine's Day KEYWORDS: holiday romance, Lunar New Year, small town, rom-com, romantic comedy, contemporary romance, steamy romance, spicy rom-com, Canadian romance, interracial romance, spicy romance, fake dating, friends to lovers, unrequited love, Chinese Canadian, happy ending, sibling romance series, lighthearted romance, foodie romance

A soft and steamy holiday romance series by Jackie Lau! Amber Wong has landed her dream job at the Stratford Festival, and life is looking good. Sure, she hasn’t had sex in so long that her condoms have expired, but she’ll just pick up some new ones, along with discounted Christmas chocolate, at the grocery store. And that’s where she runs into Dr. Sebastian Lam, the son of her parents’ close friends, whom she hasn’t seen in years. He’s moved back to Ontario, newly single, and… Oh my God. He’s really hot. The attraction is mutual and no-strings-attached sex is the perfect arrangement for both of them, since Amber has sworn off dating after a string of terrible boyfriends. But what if their families find out they’re spending time together and start interfering in their lives? That would be a disaster. Even worse? If they develop feelings for each other, given a relationship is the last thing Amber wants right now… * * * This is the fourth book in a series of novellas about the Wong siblings. Each one features a different holiday. Book 1: A Match Made for Thanksgiving Book 2: A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas Book 3: A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year Book 4: A Big Surprise for Valentine's Day KEYWORDS: holiday romance, Valentine's Day, rom-com, romantic comedy, contemporary romance, steamy romance, spicy romance, spicy rom-com, Canadian romance, best friend's little sister, family drama, friends with benefits, doctor hero, no strings attached, Chinese Canadian, happy ending, sibling romance series, lighthearted romance, foodie romance

She inherits a house in Toronto. He’s her hot next-door neighbor. First in series! When small-town engineer Amy Sharpe inherits a house in Toronto, she decides it’s the perfect opportunity to start over and go back to school. Away from the family that takes her for granted, away from the ex who expected so much and gave little in return. The new Amy enjoys wandering around the city and frequenting bubble tea shops, German beer halls, dim sum restaurants, and coffee bars serving Japanese pastries. She has a roommate with the same name as her favorite fictional character, and a group of friends who meet at a cider bar every couple of weeks. The new Amy is also in lust with her brooding, tattooed next-door neighbor, Victor Choi, who is far from friendly but looks really hot cutting the grass without a shirt. Too bad the grass doesn’t grow faster. As she starts telling him about her daily adventures—and as a little kissing in the garden becomes a regular activity—Amy begins to feel more than lust. But she fears she’s falling into her old patterns in relationships and refuses to let herself be underappreciated again. Is Victor really more than a hot fling? And what’s he hiding behind that grumpy exterior? * * * Jackie Lau writes soft and steamy romances with Asian characters. This is the first book in the Cider Bar Sisters series, a collection of interconnected standalones about friends who regularly meet up at a cider bar in Toronto. 1. Her Big City Neighbor 2. His Grumpy Childhood Friend 2.5 Her Pretend Christmas Date 3. The Professor Next Door 4. Her Favorite Rebound 5. Her Unexpected Roommate Also available in audio. Read by Emily Woo Zeller. KEYWORDS: interracial romance, Asian hero, Toronto, romantic comedy, contemporary romance, steamy romance, spicy rom-com, grumpy sunshine, opposites attract, neighbors, neighbours, big city romance, Canadian romance, foodie romance, happy ending, no cliffhanger, lighthearted romance, light romance, low angst

Her former one-night stand is now her roommate. Oops. When electrical engineer and depressed plushie enthusiast Rose Pang decides to go out alone one evening, she certainly doesn’t expect to meet easygoing landscaper Cal. They spend an enjoyable night together, and the next day, romance is on her mind. Cal promises to text…but he never does. Hurt, Rose tries her best to forget about him. But several months later, in a terrible twist of fate, Rose discovers that her new roommate, Caleb Dempsey, is actually her former one-night stand. He claims he lost her number when his phone got run over. Rose isn’t buying his lies, and Cal offers to find another place to live as soon as he can. After a few weeks, however, she starts to like having Cal as a roommate—he does all his chores, plus he’s a fun and calming presence—but she swears nothing will happen between them. Except her feelings for him grow as they spend more time together. Can she risk giving him another chance, especially when her mental health is a little fragile? If it goes badly, she’ll also lose a great roommate. Maybe it would be safer to try dating someone new… * * * Jackie Lau writes soft and steamy romances with Asian characters. This book is part of the Cider Bar Sisters series, a collection of interconnected standalones about friends who regularly meet up at a cider bar in Toronto. 1. Her Big City Neighbor 2. His Grumpy Childhood Friend 2.5 Her Pretend Christmas Date 3. The Professor Next Door 4. Her Favorite Rebound 5. Her Unexpected Roommate Also available in audio. Read by Emily Woo Zeller. KEYWORDS: Asian heroine, interracial romance, one-night stand, roommates to lovers, contemporary romance, steamy romance, Canadian romance, Toronto, happy ending

He hates durian, but for her, he’ll do anything. A fake dating and opposites attract romance. Durian is my nemesis. We have a long, painful history. In my opinion, the spiky fruit smells like natural gas and rotten onions with eau de vomit. Bleh. So when Valerie Chow spills her durian ice cream all over me, I shouldn’t fall in love. But despite her fondness for durian, Valerie is beautiful and delightfully prickly and stares at me when I take off my soiled shirt. And somehow, this chance encounter leads to me agreeing to be her fake boyfriend to get her mom off her back about her dating life. Her supposed boyfriend is a pediatric resident, but no big deal, right? My job’s in landscaping, but I can pretend to be a doctor. I’ll charm Valerie and her family, and I’ll figure out why she’s scared of relationships and gave up her career in software development. I’ll even take her to a durian dessert shop. And if I do a great job at being her fake boyfriend, maybe she’ll want me to be her real one… * * * Jackie Lau writes soft and steamy romances with Asian characters and lots of food. The Baldwin Village series is set in a Toronto neighborhood, and each book may be read as a standalone. Book 0.5: One Bed for Christmas Book 1: The Ultimate Pi Day Party Book 2: Ice Cream Lover Book 3: Man vs. Durian KEYWORDS: fake dating, fake relationship, foodie romance, Asian hero, Asian heroine, grumpy heroine, grumpy sunshine, opposites attract, rom-com, romantic comedy, contemporary romance, steamy romance, big city romance, Toronto, Canadian romance, happy ending