While seeking safe haven at a friend’s home in Scotland, a troubled young computer programmer finds herself implicated in a fraud scheme she took no part in. She soon finds herself swept up in the case and falling for the detective assigned to investigate her.

Those We Trust

Those We Trust Book 1

by Marie Jones

Genre: Romantic Thriller, Suspense, Crime

 

Broken and humiliated by her husband of ten years leaving her unexpectedly, Sophia Meadows muddles through her daily routine—writing computer programs and rarely leaving the house. That is, until an old friend from university shows up on her door with an offer she can’t refuse: a chance to get away and heal in the Scottish Highlands of Inverness by flat-sitting. Yet once she arrives, she soon discovers the offer is not what she bargained for: A police surveillance team is watching her every move and a mysterious man is after the contents of a safe hidden in a wall. After a break-in at the apartment, her path collides with DI Marcus Armstrong, the man in charge of the apartment surveillance. Sophia is swept into an investigation of fraud involving her university friend and into a sudden attraction with the handsome DI who finds himself drawn to her even though she’s a suspect in his case. With evidence piling up against her and her friend and the attraction between her and Marcus growing stronger, Sophia is forced to confront her broken heart and find a way to clear her name. In a tangled web of secrets and clues, can she and the DI work through their attraction and learn to trust each other in time to stop a criminal and possibly save a life?

***5 Star Recipient from Readers Favorite!!! ***
Those We Trust by Marie Jones is a romantic crime thriller that is both refreshing and riveting. The plot was quite unusual but realistic and unique. I loved the character development as it was perfect. Aneella was less the prey and more of a predator as far as I’m concerned. This book taught me that it’s not mandatory to hold on to some friendships. If people show us who they are, it’s in our best interests to believe them instead of giving them the benefit of the doubt. There is a hidden depth to humans that we can’t fathom.
We should learn to put our foot down because that may be our saving grace. Marie is a gifted storyteller who has written a captivating book. The writing was stylish, and the book was easy to follow. I eagerly await the sequel!

 

Those We Seek

Those We Trust Book 2

 

I thought the darkness could no longer touch me.
I was wrong.

Still carrying the physical and mental scars following the brutal stabbing by her ex-husband, Richard, Sophia is struggling to put the attack behind her. On top of that, Richard remains on the loose, with her now husband, Marcus, desperate to catch him and bring down the fraud ring, whilst her former best friend, Aneella, awaits trial. When Richard contacts her demanding to meet, and Aneella refuses to confess to anyone but her, can Sophia find the strength and courage within her to face her betrayers and protect the man she loves, no matter what the cost?

Be swept up once more in the beautiful, haunting Scottish Highlands as the story of Marcus and Sophia continues in this powerful follow-on story…

***Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite***

Those We Seek is the second book of Marie Jones’ thrilling romance series, Those We Trust. Months after her ex-husband’s brutal knife attack, Sophia Armstrong struggles with PTSD from her harrowing experience. Meanwhile, her detective inspector husband Marcus is determined to locate Richard and the other members of his fraud ring. In prison, Sophia’s former friend-turned-foe, Aneella, refuses to talk to anyone other than Sophia. After much coaxing, Sophia convinces Aneella to attend her father’s funeral to draw out her criminal associates. But things don’t go according to plan, and soon Sophia finds herself entangled in the clutches of Richard’s schemes again. However, a dogmatic Marcus is determined to bring Richard to justice, only to find himself in a precarious situation. Will Sophia and Marcus be able to get out of Richard’s trap?

With a swirling mix of romance, suspense, and nail-biting thrills, Marie Jones weaves a gripping story you don’t want to end. Those We Seek is a stellar addition to the series, and it continues Sophia and Marcus’ story as they try to navigate the circumstances Sophia’s ruthless ex-husband, Richard, put them in. The characters are well-fleshed-out, which makes them easy to relate to. Sophia and Marcus’ relationship underlines the sleuth mystery narrative throughout the book. Jones makes you feel for even the secondary characters and gives them minor plot threads, such as Tom. The plot moves at a brisk pace, with a number of unexpected twists and turns. This is a treat for romance and thriller lovers.

 

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Readers Favorite Gold Award Winner 2022

NYC Big Book Award Winner 2022 – Romantic Thriller

Finalist American Fiction Awards 2022

Chatelaine Romance Fiction First Place Winner 2023

Amor Book Award Finalist 2022

Author of multi-award-winning romantic suspense/thriller Those We Trust series

Published with GenZ Publishing

Semi-finalist Australasian Screenwriting Competition

Double recommendation from Stage 32

Marie Jones’ passion for writing and creating stories began at a young age, where she loved nothing more than writing stories into her special A4-lined book. Later on in life, Marie went on to study creative writing at night college. Her favorite place to write is in her lounge when the house is quiet (though have learned to write around noise!). Wherever she is, everyday men and women with all their amazing complexities always fascinate and inspire her

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

 

 

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🦋Some love stories refuse to be forgotten🦋

@luna.k.wicked upcoming release, Stay With Me, releases in 3 DAYS

Pre-order it here - https://a.co/d/5cEDIk8 

Tropes

🩵 Childhood friends  to Forbidden Lovers

⛓️ Taboo (Step-siblings) 

🩵Possessive and Obsessive MMC 

⛓️ Captive MMC & FMC 

🩵 Angst and Yearning 

⛓️ Playboy and Good Girl

🩵 Second Chance Romance

⛓️ Forced Proximity 

🩵 Dark Contemporary Romance 

⛓️ Emotional Healing and Redemption

Microtropes

💙Sharing popsicles as kids 

💙“Shift with me,” moment 

💙Rain kiss scene

💙Counting Scene
Puck Around And Find Out by @author.samantha.barrett

Hockey Romance Devlin Mafia Duet

🔗 Available on Amazon ➤ https://shorturl.at/7SFbm 

💀Mafia
💀Alphahole MMC
💀Brother's rival
💀Happy for now

One night.
Three lives lost.
Memories, poof, gone.

Everyone blames me—his friends, my best friend—all gone. I can’t remember what happened, but Xaden Devlin does.
He’s the devil wrapped in a beautiful package.
I'm a moth to his flame.
And he’s made it his mission to destroy me.
He’s the heir to the most feared family in town—cold, cruel, and carved from vengeance.
He calls me Tink, a cruel reminder that
“Fairies die when no one believes in them anymore.”
The more he taunts me, the more I see the truth in his eyes…
The truth about that night.
The truth about my family.
And most of all the truth about us.
Maybe the devil isn’t the monster after all.
Maybe I am.

#PuckAroundAndFindOut #SamanthaBarrett #HockeyRomance #DevlinMafiaDuet
This is the temp cover for Coax by @sbrogueauthor for The Colony Carnivale coming this October. 😈

🔗 It is available for preorder now ➤ https://bit.ly/4rqPfHq

BLURB

They say The Colony Carnivale appears without warning—rolling into forgotten towns under blood-red skies, offering laughter, lights, and salvation for the bored and broken. But beneath the painted tents, hides a different sin, each act a different obsession. Lust. Power. Revenge. Fear. The Carnivale feeds on it all—and so do the souls trapped inside.. The games are rigged, the prizes are cursed, and the performers aren’t quite human. So buy your ticket, brave the insanity, and pray the lights go out after you do. Because once you enter, the show owns you. Welcome to The Colony Carnivale—where the fun never dies, it just screams louder.

In the shadowy fringes, where twilight devours daylight and desires turn deadly, Judy and Gid prowl for willing souls. Raised as twisted twins by a man who broke them beyond repair, they spend the day luring thrill-seekers, dosing them with hallucinogens and dragging them into a nightmarish spectacle of sex, torture, and slaughter.

But as The Colony's main event, Delirium, unfolds in a frenzy of blood play, crucifixion, and cannibalistic ecstasy, a spectral figure haunts the edges. An unknown clown with a savage smile who vanishes like smoke while leaving chaos in her wake. Is she a ghost, a curse, or something far more carnal?

This erotic horror novella will plunge you into the abyss of human depravity. Buckle up for a deranged ride of masked mayhem, drug-fueled depravity, and forbidden pleasures that might just Coax you to The Colony's eternal embrace. Perfect for fans of extreme horror who crave the horrific intertwined with the erotic.

#Coax #SBRogue #EroticHorror #Novella
Somebunny Hunts You by @author.samantha.barrett

Book 3 in the Malevolent Sinners Series

Releasing on March 16, 2026

🔗Preorder Now! ➤ https://books2read.com/u/3RAXNv

BLURB

Forgive me, Father… for I’ve sinned, and the Dollhouse has carved those sins into me.

I don’t know who they are beneath the masks—or why they locked me inside their perfect little nightmare—but they hunted me, cornered me, pushed me past every boundary I thought I had.
Fear was supposed to break me. Instead, they taught me to crave the darkness I should have run from.

I need absolution, Father.

I need to escape. Because if I don’t get out soon, I can’t take down the Cosa Nostra’s don.

I swear I’ll try to be a good girl and forget what the Dollhouse awakened in me. I promise to try to stop craving the dirty things they did to me over Easter weekend.

From your sinfully naughty girl,

Jenna Xxx

#SomebunnyHuntsYou #SamanthaBarrett #Bisexual
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗨𝗣𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡!

🔗 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗼 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀  💋

🚀 You Shouldn't Have Answered by @iam_a_em

𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐑𝐁  

Aurelia Vale had it all: a perfect family, a perfect fiancé, a career as a piano prodigy, and a future carefully planned before her. Then, in one night, everything disappeared. A tragic accident shattered her life, leaving her as the only one who survived.

When a small ad in the back of a newspaper offers her ninety days of solitude at a cliffside gothic mansion in Mendocino, California, Aurelia takes it as a sign to disappear.

The first night is easy. By the second, she feels eyes on her. Someone is watching her, leaving letters on her doorstep and calling her in the middle of the night. Eventually, she had enough and answered only one call.

And the man who has been watching her finally appears.

“You shouldn’t have answered,” the words she will never forget.

This is a psychological thriller and dark romance set in the 90s, a tragic and emotional story filled with trauma and grief that will stay with you long after the final page.

#YouShouldntHaveAnswered #AemAuthor #PsychologicalThriller