Advertisement
Join us at Blue House Books on Wednesday, February 25th, at 5 p.m. for a swoon-worthy event! Brighton Walsh ("The Grump Next Door"), our local indie romance author, will moderate a romance discussion featuring three other talented romance authors, including Nickolas Butler ("A Forty Year Kiss"), Lena Hendrix ("Just My Luck"), and Flynn Novak ("Puck You").The evening kicks off at 5 p.m. with a cocktail hour featuring mocktails from The Sipster (cash bar) and time to mingle with fellow romance readers. The panel discussion with our guest authors begins at 6 p.m.
The group will chat about the inspiration behind their stories, favorite romance tropes, and maybe even spill some juicy details about character inspiration—plus plenty more. There will also be time for audience Q&A and a book signing with all four authors.
This event requires a $5 reservation deposit. Get all the details here: https://www.blue-house-books.com/events/3905020260225
About A FORTY YEAR KISS:
From the critically acclaimed author of "Shotgun Lovesongs" comes an exquisitely written, small-town story about one couple's hard-won second chance at love, forty years after their divorce, now in trade paperback.
Charlie and Vivian parted ways after just four years of marriage. Too many problems, too many struggles, even though the love didn't quite die. When Charlie returns to Wisconsin forty years later, he's not sure what he'll find. He is sure of one thing—he must try to reconnect with Vivian to pick up the broken pieces of their past. But forty years is a long time. It's forty years of other relationships, forty years of building new lives, and forty years of long-held regrets, mistakes, and painful secrets.
A brave and triumphant exploration of redemption and sunset triumph, A Forty Year Kiss is a once-in-a-lifetime love story, written with dazzling lyricism and remarkable clarity of spirit, from a celebrated author at the top of his game. It's a literary valentine that promises to be a love story for the ages.
About NICKOLAS BUTLER:
Nickolas Butler is the author of the internationally bestselling novel "Shotgun Lovesongs" and an acclaimed collection of short stories entitled, "Beneath the Bonfire" as well as three other novels. He lives on sixteen acres of land in rural Wisconsin adjacent to a buffalo farm. He is married and has two children.
About JUST THIS ONCE:
In a rugged small town on the coast of Michigan where heartbreak lingers but love always finds a way, sparks fly between a fireman and the daughter of the fire chief after an unforgettable one night stand. Fans of Lucy Score’s Knockmeout Series, Elsie Silver, Carley Fortune, and B.K. Borrison will swoon over book 1 in Lena Hendrix’s bestselling Kings Series!
Cocky, pierced firefighters are perfect for late-night rom-coms, but in real life they’re nothing but trouble. Especially when you find out they work for your dad—after you’ve already slept with them.
Moving to my parents’ small town was supposed to be the fresh start I was looking for. When a disastrous Valentine’s Day leads to an unexpected encounter with a sexy stranger, it ended with the hottest night of my life.
I didn’t think I would ever see Whip again.
Imagine my surprise when one of my sixth-grade students has a medical emergency and it’s Whip who shows up, looking hot as hell, to save the day. I should be embarrassed at how we left things, but instead I’m furious he doesn’t seem to remember me.
So I scrape my pride off the floor, lift my chin, and pretend there’s nothing between us. But that can last only so long. Stolen glances melt into forbidden touches, and once we give in to temptation, we can’t keep our hands off each other.
Nothing has ever felt so right, but my guarded heart won’t let me believe in happily ever after with a man like him. Opening up to Whip may be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and every time we agree to one last time, we both know it’s a lie.
How many times can we keep telling ourselves just this once before we realize that, when it comes to love, once is never enough?
About LENA HENDRIX:
Lena Hendrix is a "USA Today" and Amazon Top 5 bestselling author of contemporary romance that blends small-town charm with emotional depth and open-door heat. A Midwest girl, she enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, gardening, and flannel-wearing fictional men. She lives outside Chicago and dreams of someday owning a coastal Michigan lake house with questionable WiFi but excellent vibes. Connect with her @authorlenahendrix on Instagram and TikTok and at LenaHendrix.com.
About PUCK YOU:
For fans of spicy hockey romances like "Icebreaker" and "The Au Pair Affair" comes the story of a heated rivalry between two hockey players that develops into a romance hot enough to melt the ice from debut novelist Flynn Novak.
An on ice rivalry sparks an off ice affair . . . and puts both their hockey career in jeopardy in this steamy new adult debut by Flynn Novak
When Grace Gillman transfers to Dallard University for her senior year, she’s excited to play top-level hockey with a high-ranking team, where she expects top-tier facilities and opportunities. But her excitement quickly fades as she learns that the women’s team isn’t a priority.
Sebastian Evans needs this year to go perfectly. It’s his last chance to prove himself to scouts for a professional hockey career. Juggling school, an old injury, and the pressure to perform is tough enough—but dealing with Grace, the fiery star from the women’s team, makes everything harder.
Neither Grace nor Sebastian wants to compete with each other, but when Grace sees how much better the men’s team is treated, she can’t stay silent. The two quickly become rivals, both on and off the ice. But when their personal conflict starts affecting their game, they risk being benched permanently. Despite the tension, sparks fly between them, and what began as a bitter rivalry might just ignite into something hot enough to melt the ice they skate on.
“A burning romance that scorches the delicate line between love and hate.” —Ali Novak, author of the bestselling "My Life with the Walter Boys"
About FLYNN NOVAK:
Flynn Novak grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Global Studies. Her love for writing can be attributed to her older sister and fellow author, who shared her first stories with Flynn when they were kids. In addition to writing, Flynn loves reading and collecting books—which are indeed different hobbies—traveling the world, pierogis, movie marathons, and dreaming up fantasy worlds before bed.
About THE GRUMP NEXT DOOR:
Our first kiss was a lie. Our second was a mistake. And the night we spent tangled up in each other? Hot as hell but a complete disaster.
Because now Sutton Sinclair—the sharp-tongued troublemaker who left claw marks down my back and a dent in my self-control—is living in my backyard cottage with her teenage daughter. And I’m her goddamn landlord.
I like things quiet. Controlled. She’s neither. Sutton’s chaos wrapped in sunshine, a temptation in scrubs I can’t seem to stay away from.
When her ex shows up acting like Sutton’s still his to lose, I claim her on instinct. The kiss? Hot. The fallout? Immediate.
Now my family—and the entire town—thinks we’re a couple.
Fake dating Sutton wasn’t in my playbook, but if being a pro-footballer turned high school coach has taught me anything, it’s how to pivot. All I have to do is keep my hands to myself.
Then her cottage floods.
Now we’re sharing a roof…and a bed. The line between real and fake is blurring faster than I can redo the guest house.
This is supposed to be temporary. But Sutton doesn’t just crash into my life—she rewrites it. She’s in my home, moaning my name, breaking every rule I’ve ever lived by.
And I’m starting to want something permanent with the woman who’s already got one foot out the door.
About BRIGHTON WALSH:
Award-winning "USA Today" and "Wall Street Journal" bestselling author Brighton Walsh spent a decade as a professional photographer before taking her storytelling in a different direction and reconnecting with her first love —writing. She likes her books how she likes her tea—steamy and satisfying—and adores strong-willed heroines and the protective heroes who fall head over heels for them.
Throughout her twelve years as a published author, Brighton's written more than 40 romances, some of which have earned starred reviews from "Library Journal" and "Booklist", with one of her novels named among "Booklist's" top 101 romances of the past decade. Her work has been featured in "Women's Health" and "Publishers Weekly", among other publications.
Brighton lives along the shores of Lake Michigan with her real life hero of a husband, her two kids—both taller than her—and her dog who thinks she's a queen. Her boy-filled house is the setting for dirty socks galore, frequent dance parties (okay, so it's mostly her, by herself, while her children look on in horror), and more laughter than she thought possible.
Advertisement
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
5915 6th Ave A, Kenosha, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53140
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
