As an English teacher and author, I am always on the lookout for booknerd merchandise; totes, shirts, and mugs with  my favorite classics always get my attention. Thus, when I came across the website for Literary Book Gifts, I knew I'd found my own version of bookworm heaven.

I love that the site carries totes (a bookworm must, as you know), and T-shirts for men and women. They also have backpacks with a laptop sleeve and some hoodies. The website is super sleek and easy to maneuver, which is a plus when you're browsing for the perfect gift or just a treat for yourself.

There are a lot of bookworm merchandise stores online these days, but I always have two problems with them:

1. They are usually super expensive.
.2. They never have a huge variety of authors and books.

Literary Book Gifts is different on both accounts. T-shirts and totes are $28, and there is a flat $5 shipping fee for the U.S. The selection is crazy amazing. I found a tote for Kafka's Metamorphosis, a text I teach, that I've never seen anywhere else. I browsed the designs, all of which are classy and very trendy, and saw so many designs I desperately want--Alice in Wonderland, Wuthering Heights, Dracula, Dickens, and Poe just to name a few.

If you're a literary lover like me, be sure to head over and check out some of their amazing designs. If you use the code SATINROMANCE20 on your order, you'll get 20% off! You can use the coupon on anything in the store, no minimum, and you can use it an unlimited amount of times.

Check out some of my favorite designs below, and be sure to comment and tell me what you think of their shirts and totes.

Coming August 11th, the next installment in the popular Lines in the Sand series!

Book three in this romantic comedy follows Jodie and Levi back to Texas for the holidays. If you haven't read books one and two in the series, head over to Amazon and check them out. Book one, Inked Hearts, was named a Romance Times Top Pick upon release.

Scroll down to learn more about Texan Hearts, find the preorder links for only 99 cents, and if you're ready, add it to your list on Goodreads.


Will a rowdy Texan Thanksgiving be too much for even this wild couple to handle?


Join hot cowboy Levi and quirky author Jodie this Thanksgiving in a fun short story of heat, cringe-worthy families, and dramas of the heart.
“You’re out of control,” I say as he leads me back to some cryptic place behind the rodeo. “And you love it,” he murmurs, turning to kiss me, his hands wandering, making me thankful in all sorts of ways for a very Texan and very scandalous Thanksgiving rodeo.
When Levi Creed, the sexy cowboy, takes Jodie Ellison home for a true Texan Thanksgiving, she has no idea what kind of rowdy holiday she’s in for. As Levi and Jodie’s families unite for one crazy dinner, Jodie uncovers Levi’s roots. Will the scorching Texas heat unite their already smoldering hearts, or will elements of Levi’s past prove to be too much for the new couple?

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2LqmABA
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2LqmoSS
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2L9YETW
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2L5ZRLX
Kobo:
iTunes: https://apple.co/2L7F1vv
Nook:
books2read.com/texan-hearts

For me, summer is a time to rejuvenate, recharge, and read a whole heck of a lot.

With school out for summer and my curriculum ready to go, I love to catch up on my personal TBR list. Right now, I'm reading The Arc of a Scythe series by Neil Shusterman and loving it so much! I'm also planning on reading a book by Shirley Jackson, Cormac McCarthy's No Country For Old Men, and Night Circus.

This time of year, I also like to read books with a beach setting, a summer vibe, and some beautiful summer dates. If you're looking for a super summer read, check out my recommendations below. These are all books that just seem to say summer to me.

Do you have some great book recommendations? I'd love to hear what's on your list or what books you've loved recently. Hit reply and tell me what books I should read and review this summer.

Xoxo,

Author Lindsay Detwiler



Books you should read this summer

1. Jane Green, The Sunshine Sisters


This book is set at the beach and is about three sisters brought back together over their very frustrating mother. This one is a realistic, sweet read about family loyalty.

2. Jane Green, The Beach House

This one is another perfect beach read. This was my first Jane Green book, and I really fell in love with her style .She doesn't shy away from realism in her books, and I appreciate that.

3. Jeannine Colette, Reckless Abandon
​
If you like some spice in your romance, you're going to love this alpha romance. However, I like that Jeanine makes her alpha's likable. I also love that Jeanine sets her books in different cities. Such a fun, summer read in the romance genre.

4. Nicholas Sparks, The Choice

Of course, every single Nicholas Sparks book is set at the beach. If you want some romantic drama with a touch of tears, this is the one for you. I adore this story, I adore the movie, and it probably has my absolute favorite proposal of all time in it. I think you'll love Travis because he's not your typical book boyfriend--but his loyalty to love and family is so admirable. 

5. Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty

I'm a huge Moriarty fan, and Big Little Lies is the perfect book if you want some drama and some suspense. This book focuses on a group of women from wealthy families and a mystery that brings some unlikely allies together. Reese Witherspoon is involved in the HBO adaptation of this book, and it is also phenomenal. 

6. Nights in Rodanthe, Nicholas Sparks

Another tearjerker, this one is about second-chance romance. I love that the couple in this book is in a later stage of their life, which I think is something we need to see more of in literature. This one is also set at the beach, and it's all about summer love. 

From the first time they locked eyes, Lila Morrow and Luke Bowman had a special spark. Their first kiss sealed their fairy-tale romance… until everything fell apart.

Here’s your excerpt of Still Us. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!

Sitting on the sofa with the curly-haired hunk who was a singer and an animal lover, I couldn’t help but wonder if this might just be different and if Luke’s desire to see Henry might turn into something more.
“I’d like that too.”
We spent the next few hours chatting about school, childhood memories, animals, and life. For those hours, it didn’t feel like Luke was some man I’d met less than twenty-four hours ago. It felt like he was someone I’d been meant to talk to my whole life, like the piece of me that was missing.
When we woke up in the morning to Floyd’s cries for food, I awkwardly stumbled to my feet. I’d been leaning on Luke’s shoulder, a wet spot on his shirt showing where my drooling mouth had been. I flushed with embarrassment.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. We must’ve fallen asleep. I’m so sorry,” I said, cupping my mouth in embarrassment.
Luke looked at his shirt, then at me, and started laughing. “It’s fine. Just a little drool, right, Doctor? Nothing you haven’t dealt with before.”
“I’m mortified.”
He shrugged. “Could be worse.”
“Not really. I just fell asleep on a patient’s owner’s shoulder and drooled on him. Not quite professional.”
“Well, there’s one solution for that.”
“What’s that?” I asked, rushing to get Floyd some food from the cupboard, mostly to busy my hands.
“Let’s not make this professional. Let’s make it personal. Go out with me tonight.”
I froze with a can of cat food in my hand. I turned to look at Luke, trying to avoid looking at the drool spot. “I don’t know. That’s not very professional. I mean, what would people think?”
“People can think what they want. Who cares. Go out with me.”
He took a step forward now, and I felt that familiar flutter. I wanted to say yes, to see where this feeling would take me.
But with the haze of the evening gone and the bright daylight streaming in, I realized this could lead me down another path to heartbreak. I didn’t know much about Luke, but I knew he seemed too good to be true. Those eyes were inviting, but they also said trouble.
“I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”
“That means no.”
“It means I’ll think about it.”
“Dammit, Lila Morrow. Just go out with me.”
I sighed, shaking my head. “I can’t. But I think Floyd is okay to take home. Call me if anything changes.”
Luke stared, those eyes piercing into me. For a moment, he hesitated, as if he was going to push me further. “Okay. But you call me if anything changes on your end, okay?”
I smiled, shaking my head. “Okay, I will.”
I helped him get Floyd ready for the ride home, giving him medicines and instructions and things to watch for. As I walked him to the door and thanked him for the coffee, he turned around to me.
“Lila Morrow?”
“Yeah?”
“Just one more thing.”
He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I froze, shocked by his boldness. He pulled back so we were almost nose to nose, his eyes glinting in the sun’s rays floating through the door. “I don’t think this is over. I think you haven’t seen the last of me. I think we could be good for each other.”
I sighed again, the fluttering intense now. “Well, for starters, that was more than just one thing, FYI.”
He shook his head now. “I’ll see you soon, soul mate.”
“Soul mate? Really? Don’t you think it’s a little soon?” I said, unable to stop the smile from spreading on my face.
“Nope. Not at all. Come on, Floyd. Let’s get out of here before Dr. Morrow makes a move. We’re not ready for marriage yet, you know.”
“You’re unbelievable.” I was flabbergasted by his confidence, more accurately labeled as arrogance. From his smirk to the way he walked out of there, it seemed like Luke Bowman knew I would be his.
Which was both frustrating and surprisingly intriguing.
“Well, thank you,” he said, whistling as he walked to his pickup truck, loaded Floyd, and drove out of the parking lot, leaving me to stand and wonder what the hell kind of trouble I’d gotten into.
***
“Maren, this is a terrible idea. I have no rhythm,” I whined, yanking down my hot pink exercise top and feeling completely out of place. I had no idea why I’d let her talk me into it.
“Come on. Zumba’s great. Plus, that guy I’ve been telling you about works out here, so come on. Just go with it.”
“Wait, that Will guy?”
“Yes, idiot. Hence the hour it took me to get ready for Zumba. Didn’t you think the eye makeup was a little over the top?”
“Still do. But I don’t see what your obsession has to do with me.”
“Because I need a Zumba buddy. Only creepos come alone. I don’t want Will thinking I’m a creepo.”
“That seems like seriously flawed logic,” I said.
“Okay, doctor lady. You get that white jacket and you think you know everything,” Maren said, rolling her eyes but grinning.
I shoved her into the wall, and we started yelling and pinching each other like the preteens we still were together. After we’d settled down, I turned to the right, eyeing the muscular guys on the machinery, taking a peek.
And then I froze, putting a hand on Maren’s arm. “Oh, shit. Are you serious?” I asked, seeing the familiar curls.
He was in a T-shirt and shorts, but even from here, I could appreciate his amazing biceps at work. My heart started to beat faster.
“What?”
“It’s him. That guy from the other day. You know, the whole Floyd thing?”
“Oh, Lila, he’s gorgeous. Go get him.” Maren let out what I thought was supposed to be a Latin growl, but sounded more like a cough.
“No. I can’t. He’s crazy. Super bold. He’s trouble.”
“Trouble is what you need,” she hissed. “You’re so boring. He could liven you up. Now go talk to him.”
“Not in this outfit.”
“Absolutely in that outfit. Now go, or I will.”
“I thought you were here for Will,” I observed, staring at my crazy sister.
“I am. But if you let that fine man go to waste, I’ll just have to move in on both.”
“You’re ridiculous,” I said. “But fine. And besides, there’s Will. Go make eyes at him,” I said, rolling my eyes now. We pinched each other one more time before heading off in separate directions. So much for using the gym to get fit.


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What did you think of Lila and Luke? Feel free to hit comment and tell me about your own love story and what you thought of Luke and Lila. If it sounds like your kind of romance, click the button below to add it to your TBR pile.

Are you a literature lover? Do you want to start the year off with this fun prize pack, including a huge Book Nerd mug?

Head over to the pinned post on my Facebook for a contest that's super easy to enter...and super fun to win. Join my tribe in celebrating sweet, genuine love stories for your chance to win this gift pack.