{New Suspense Romance Release} Lush by Tinia Montford

Lush by Tinia Montford
on March 31st, 2025
Genres: Fiction, Adult, Mystery/Suspense, Romance, Adventure
Buy on Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Amazon Australia, Available with KU Subscription, Storygraph
Goodreads

Laurene King had it all: beauty, wealth, and a sexy secret affair with Reese Ashbourne— the brooding heir of her family’s sworn enemy.

But one reckless night shattered everything.

Tragedy struck. Laurene disappeared. And Reese was left with betrayal, unanswered questions, and scars he’ll never forget.

Now, Laurene is back, forced to return to the life she fled, but her homecoming comes with a cruel twist. Their families, teetering on the edge of ruin, have resurrected an old deal to save themselves: an Ashbourne and a King must marry—or lose everything.

Only this time, Reese is the groom. Not his brother.

Haunted by the past, Reese craves revenge as much as he still craves her. Trapped in a forced proximity neither can escape, their chemistry ignites—and so do their secrets.

But someone knows the truth about that night. The lies that tore them apart are unraveling, and the shadowy danger lurking in their luxurious world could destroy them both.

With their second chance at love and their families’ legacies hanging by a thread, Laurene and Reese must choose: bury the past or watch everything crumble to ashes.

The clock is ticking, and some truths are better left buried…

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Exclusive Excerpt from Lush

“Welcome back, Miss King.” She had a plastic smile, but her voice was cold and formal. She knew my name, everyone here did, but the way she said it made my skin prickle. 

The flight from Paris was awful; leaving my little sanctuary only to return to… What? My mess?

Bags in hand, I stepped out of the jet. 

The cold northern California air hit me like a wall, salty and familiar. There was a bone-chilling silence, like the world was holding its breath. 

No crowd. No welcoming committee. No angry pitchforks or protesters, like I’d half expected.

All I heard was the hum of the engines slowing and my pulse thudding in my ears.

I was finally home. 

The beach city of Lush stretched out before me like a postcard—too perfect, too idyllic. My hometown, the rich’s last-kept secret. Tucked away in the cliffs, the place where my great-great…maybe seven times great-grandfather had made his mark. Augustus King. The man who’d fled the Black Wall Street massacre with only scraps of his wealth. 

And here I was, standing in the aftermath of everything that he had been built, that now my mother maintained. The Kings’ history here was covered in blood and secrets and lies—mine included.

The memory of that night had been replaying nonstop in my brain for six years. The fucked-up truth of it I couldn’t escape. I’d gotten exactly what I wanted. I remained the perfect, innocent King daughter. I’d secured my family’s status and wealth. I didn’t have to answer for betraying Conrad.

And then—before Reese could come after me, before he could demand answers or turn on me for what I had done—I ran.

I left for Paris, untouched by the fallout, while Reese was left to rot in the mess we’d created together.

But now I was back. In the distance was a stunning collection of pastel-colored mansions, beachfront villas, andlow-rise condos, their smooth stucco walls warmed by the sun. The air vibrated with the sounds of seagulls and distant boat horns as luxurious yachts passed in the marina; the scent of grapes hung heavy in the air from the nearby vineyards.

The wind whipped my hair, carrying the scent of jet fuel as I surveyed the array of luxury cars—Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, and a couple of Ferraris—lined up by the hangar with my family’s huge sign. 

King Enterprises. 

The empire we’d built. The empire I was a part of, for better or worse.