Skip to content
  • Home
  • Review Policy
  • Linktree
  • Contact
  • Menu Item
  • Menu Item
  • Menu Item
  • Menu Item
  • Menu Item

Westveil Publishing

Jenna Rideout | Illustrator, Book Reviewer, Author

  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Jenna
    • Review Policy
    • Linktree
    • Spam Concerns
  • Blog
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews & Guest Posts
    • Book Promos
    • Book Talk, Tags & YouTube
  • Contact
  • Toggle search form
  • The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson – 5 Star Review Book Reviews
  • Book Review: Chronos Warlock by Shami Stovall Book Promos
  • Shadow’s Voice by Natalie Johanson – 4 Star Book Review Author Interviews & Guest Posts
  • Ad Hominem by Eric Gay – 5 Star Book Review Book Reviews
  • Hex Marks the Spot by Ani Gonzalez – 5 Star Book Review Book Reviews
  • 5 Star Review: Shut Up and Write the Book by Jenna Moreci Book Promos
  • The Rage Room – 5 Star Book Review Book Reviews
  • The Living Waters by Dan Fitzgerald – 5 Star Book Review Book Reviews

Nefarious [Book Blitz]

Posted on July 11, 2021 By Jenna Rideout No Comments on Nefarious [Book Blitz]

Welcome to one of the many stops on the blog tour for Nefarious by Mary Ann Marlowe with XPresso Book Tours. Look for others participating in this blitz across social media and on your favourite bookish blogs July 11-15, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway! More on that at the end of this post. #BookNerd #BookWorm #maryannmarlowe #contemporary #XpressoTours

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.

About the Book

Nefarious
by Mary Ann Marlowe

Publishing 13 July 2021

Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Page Count 279
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Warning: What you’re about to read is not a romance . . .

Diabolical Wall Street traders, Dane Russ and Val Montgomery, vaulted into fame and fortune as the power duo of financial technology. But after they lost the internet trading company they built from the ground up to ruthless Geraldo Valencia, they had to tuck tail and run to a Midwestern firm. Dane deals with the boredom by leaning into his playboy ways. Meanwhile Val plays the role of a scrupulous mentor, while secretly playing mind games with everyone at the office.

When Geraldo’s daughter shows up as an intern in Val’s summer training program, Val sees the perfect opportunity for her longed-for revenge—she’ll teach the girl nefarious business practices and send her home ethically compromised. But Dane’s not interested because he’s stumbled across his own opportunity for vengeance—a chance to seduce Noelle, the new CEO, and the woman who spurned him years ago.

As Val and Dane play cat-and-mouse with everyone else, their long-simmering history of unresolved romantic injuries with one another begins to burn beyond their control. While Dane doesn’t notice that a jealous Val has set him on a path to ruin Noelle, Val’s blind to the traps Dane has laid to bring her down. Although they’re adept at using everyone around them like chess pieces, their interpersonal game has no rules and can only end with their mutual destruction. If they don’t agree to a cease fire, Val’s reputation will be destroyed and Dane will lose his heart before he even realizes he’s risked it.

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Apple | Kobo

Excerpt

When Dane pulled into his driveway, the cab stopped behind him on the street, and Selena climbed out.

Oh, God, now what?

She spoke to the driver, who drove off, leaving a twenty-something-year-old girl on his doorstep. He looked up and down the street for any signs of witnesses. He waved toward his car. He had to get her back home.

“Why are you here, Selena?”

She laughed. “I had the cab driver follow you.” She staggered a little as she approached. How had Dane missed that she’d gotten good and drunk at the bar. He’d been so intent on the battle of wits, he’d lost sight of the girl with the crush. Not good, Dane.

“Come on. Let’s get you back home.”

She sauntered clear up to him and touched his chest. She walked her fingers up the buttons on his shirt until she reached the knot in his tie. “This is a very sexy tie.”

He realized she’d taken off her glasses at some point and batted doe eyes at him. He wrapped his hand around hers and drew it away from him.

She pouted. “Did you know I’ve been fascinated with you for years? I wonder what it might be like to kiss you.”

He ran his eyes along her lips, trying to push that image out of his mind.

“Would you get into my car, please?” He opened the door for her, but she leaned against it, pulling the elastic out of her hair and shaking it in a way that might have left him desiring her. But he hadn’t forgotten that she worked under him. This could get him in more trouble even than the stunt he’d pulled with that sys admin, Connor. Maybe.

He thought he could sober her up with a cold reminder. “Your dad would not be very happy about this.”

“Screw him. He told me I can’t work with you anymore.”

“Oh, so he found out.” Poor thing. He was almost tempted to carry her into his house just to help her get even with her dad. But he’d grown to like Selena, and the last thing he wanted to do was have Geraldo on his mind if he took her in his bed.

“He did.” She clenched her fist and punched nothing in particular. “He said I have to go back to New York, but I told him I wouldn’t. This is a prestigious internship program. And I’d never get into another at this late date. He has to let me stay.”

“Did he agree?”

“Yes, but.” She lifted her eyes up to his. “But he told me he wants me to work under a different mentor. I couldn’t get him to hear reason. He’s got the wrong idea about you.”

Dane chuckled. “Maybe not.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, like he’s one to talk.” She shook her head. “He’s the worst, most controlling, selfish—” Her voice dropped. “It’s my life. He can’t treat me like one of his employees.”

Dane wanted to press her to go on, but she swayed a little. She needed someone to protect her. There were predators about. He dipped his head to look into her eyes, voice lowered. “Is that why you came here tonight?”

“I thought. I just thought.”

“I might mentor you on the sly maybe? Teach you about securities at eleven p.m. on a Tuesday in my kitchen?”

She stepped away from the car and laid her hand on his cheek. “I just thought you might have other things to teach me.”

He hoped she couldn’t see his eyes roll in the darkness. This was the weakest come-on he’d ever witnessed. “Look, Selena. You’re a beautiful girl. But I’m your supervisor. And that means you’re off limits.”

“Not anymore. Not if I work with another mentor.” The girl was learning to work the loopholes. Her hand slid down until her palm skimmed his neck inside his shirt collar, and he shivered. “And I’ve thought about this for such a long time.”

She was cute as hell. But she was an intern, he reminded himself. The worst cliché. Taking advantage of her would be so easy, it would be criminal. Possibly literally.

“No, still.”

“Nobody would have to know.”

He considered it for a half a second. Nobody would have to know. And the risk was tempting. If he wasn’t absolutely sure he was being followed, he might have taken her up on it. He had half a mind to anyway. But he wasn’t nearly drunk enough, so he pointed to his car. “Get in. I’m taking you home.”

About the Author

Some Kind of Magic is Mary Ann Marlowe’s first novel. When not writing, she works by day as a computer programmer/DBA. She spent ten years as a university-level French professor, and her resume includes stints as an au pair in Calais, a hotel intern in Paris, a German tutor, a college radio disc jockey, and a webmaster for several online musician fandoms, plus she has a second-degree black belt. She has lived in twelve states and three countries and loves to travel. She now lives in central Virginia where she is hard at work on her second novel. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.maryannmarlowe.com, on Facebook, www.facebook.com/marlowemaryann/, and at twitter.com/maryannmarlowe.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads

Giveaway Alert!

Blitz-wide giveaway (INT): $25 Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp
  • Mastodon

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Book Promos Tags:contemporary, contemporary fiction, Mary Ann Marlowe, Nefarious, xpresso book tours

Post navigation

Previous Post: Cover Reveal: The Traitor by Abigail Owen
Next Post: Nuclear Power Nuclear Game [Book Tour with Excerpt]

Related Posts

  • The Guardian by Jen Colly [Tour with Excerpt] Book Promos
  • Life After Love [Book Tour with Excerpt] Book Promos
  • Immortality Shattered [Book Tour with Excerpt] Book Promos
  • Between by TJ Amberson [Blitz with Excerpt] Book Promos
  • Sea Glass and Fireflies by Kate Ellington Book Promos
  • Tour Book [Book Blitz] Book Promos

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

We migrated web hosts and we're still working on restoring images. Thank you for your patience!

Badges

Professional Reader
Reviews Published
80%
50 Book Reviews
NetGalley Beta Tester
Frequently Auto-Approved
Intellifluence Trusted Blogger
  • Author Interviews & Guest Posts
  • Blog
  • Book Promos
  • Book Reviews
  • Book Talk, Tags & YouTube
  • Featured
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
  • Author Guest Post w Vicky Weber, Gingersnap Snatcher Review Book Reviews
  • Author Guest Post with Liese A Sherwood-Fabre: The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes, Vol 4 Author Interviews & Guest Posts
  • TSS Character Symbols Tournament Round 2 Book Talk, Tags & YouTube
  • Last Man Standing – Romance Series [Tour with Excerpt] Book Promos
  • God and Petroleum by Roberto Aguilera Book Promos
  • Polish Dragon P. I. (The Good Book) by Steve Zimcosky Book Promos
  • Author Guest Post with Dana Hammer: My Best Friend Athena Author Interviews & Guest Posts
  • An Eye for the Highest and Best by Dr. Nancy-Angel Doetzel Book Promos

Original content © 2021-2024 Westveil Publishing | Submitted content rights remain with the rights holders.

%d