I am BURSTING to share this Feature Post and Book Review for Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward’s DIRTY LETTERS. This is one of my favorite standalone romance reads of the year and Griffin definitely made my BBF list!
Below you will find an excerpt from the title, my book review, a book summary the author’s bios and social media links and the link to the Rafflecopter giveaway for a $100 Amazon Gift Card giveaway!
I highly recommend this romance and good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
EXCERPT:
The small dining room
table had a pile of mail. I’d had Dad’s mail forwarded to my house, so mostly
it was just catalogs and junk. Once a month, Mrs. Cascio sent me
everything that arrived, even though I’d told her it wasn’t necessary. I
mindlessly fingered through the pile, not expecting to see anything worth
keeping. But I stopped at an envelope addressed to me—well, not me, but Luca
Ryan. That was a name I hadn’t heard in a long time. In second grade, my
teacher, Mrs. Ryan, started a pen pal writing program with a small town in
England. We weren’t allowed to use our real last names for safety reasons, so
the entire class used her last name—hence I was Luca Ryan. I checked out the
return address for the sender’s name.
G. Quinn
Wow, really? It couldn’t be.
I squinted at the
postmark. It was from a PO box in California, not England, but I didn’t know
any other Quinn other than Griffin. And the handwriting did look pretty
familiar. But it had been close to eight years since we’d exchanged letters.
Why would he write now? Curious, I ripped it open and scanned right to the
bottom of the letter for the name. Sure enough, it was from Griffin. I started
at the beginning.
Dear Luca,
Do you like scotch? I remember you said
you didn’t like the taste of beer. But we never did get around to comparing our
taste in hard liquor. Why is that, you might ask? Let me remind you—because you
stopped answering my letters eight damn years ago. I wanted to let you know,
I’m still pissed off about that. My mum used to say I hold grudges. But I
prefer to think of it as I remember the facts. And the fact of the matter is,
you suck. There, I’ve said it. I’ve been holding that shit in for a long time.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m not obsessive or anything. I don’t sit in my house
thinking about you all day long. In fact, there have been months that go by
when thoughts of you don’t even enter my brain. But then some random thing will
pop into my head out of the blue. Like I’ll see some kid in a pram eating black
licorice, and I’ll think of you. Side note—I’ve tried it again as an adult, and
I still think it tastes like the bottom of my shoe, so perhaps it’s that you
just have no taste. You probably don’t even like scotch. Anyway, I’m sure this
letter won’t find its way to you. Or if by some miracle it does, you won’t
answer. But if you’re reading this, you should know two things.
1. The Macallan 1926 is worth the extra
cash. Goes down smooth.
2. You SUCK.
Later, traitor, Griffin
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
DIRTY LETTERS by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward is one of the best contemporary romances I have read this year! This romance has a swoon worthy rockstar hero and a heroine who is battling severe anxiety after a life altering event eight years ago.
Luca and Griffin became pen pals from the age of seven when
Luca’s teacher set her class up to write to children in England. Luca’s life in
New York could not have been more different than Griffin’s life in England, but
they became best friends. They told each other their deepest fears and secrets
and formed a bond that lasted over years, until Luca stopped answering Griffin’s
letters.
Out of the blue, eight years later, Luca finds a letter from
Griffin as she is cleaning out her deceased father’s apartment. His letter is
full of anger over her breaking their connection.
Luca reconnects by letter with Griffin, who now lives in California.
Luca explains to Griffin the reason for her discontinued writing and when he
learns the cause he forgives her. The spark and deep connection is still there
and soon the letters go from the flirty childhood connection they had, to an
adult connection full of their wildest sexual fantasies.
Luca wants to meet in person, but Griffin is afraid that when Luca meets him, everything will change. Neither go by their real last names in their correspondence or professional lives. Luca is willing to take a huge leap and go find her friend, but what she finds is not what she expected. Can two such different people find a way to be together forever?
This is one of those romances that pull you in and when you
reach “The End”, you do not feel any time has passed and you do not want to
leave Luca and Griffin’s world. I had all my emotions yanked, tossed and pulled
and believe me, you better have tissues for the last few chapters, some for sad
tears and ultimately for happy tears. The parts of the story told in written
letters between the H/h had me laughing out loud, squirming in my seat (explicit
and sexy hot) and crying like a baby. There is just something so much more in a
written letter than today’s emails, texts and phone calls. Griffin definitely
made it to my book boyfriend list. Luca is written with empathy and is a wonderful
portrayal of living through the good and bad days with an emotional anxiety disorder.
This is one of the most emotional, heartfelt and just plain
romantic books I have read this year. Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward have “knocked
it out of the park” with this collaboration! I highly recommend this romance!
***
About the Book
Title: Dirty Letters
Authors: Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Publisher: Montlake
Summary
She had yet to meet him but had never forgotten the British
boy who’d warmed her heart.
As childhood pen pals, Griffin Quinn and Luca Vinetti couldn’t have been more
different. Over the years, through hundreds of letters, they became best
friends, sharing their deepest, darkest secrets.
Until one day it ended.
Griffin never understood why Luca disappeared. She was special. She knew the
real him like no one else. He writes her a drunken letter, an angry one, never
expecting her to write back.
Before they know it, they’re right where they left off. This time with heat.
But as playing catch-up goes from fun to flirty to downright dirty, Luca wants more. She wants Griffin in the flesh. That’s where it gets risky. Because when they meet, the mystery will be over. And once they really get to know each other, there’ll be no going back.
***
Author Biographies
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street
Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. With millions of books
sold, her titles have appeared on more than one hundred bestseller lists and
are currently translated into twenty-six languages. She resides in New York
with her husband and their three children, where she is living out her own
happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.
Penelope
Ward is a New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Wall Street
Journal bestselling author of more than twenty novels. A former television
news anchor, Penelope has sold more than two million books and has appeared on
the New York Times bestseller list twenty-one times. She resides in
Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
Together,
Vi and Penelope are the authors of Dirty Letters, Hate Notes, and
the Rush Series. For more information about them, visit www.vikeeland.com
and www.penelopewardauthor.com.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for Liz Talley’s new standalone release ROOM TO BREATHE.
Below you will find a guest post from the author, an excerpt from the title, my book review, a book summary, the author’s bio and social media links and Rafflecopter giveaway for $25 Amazon gift card and a digital copy of the book. Good luck!
***
Author Guest Post: Starting and Starting Over
Room to Breathe is a story of two southern women at very different stages in their lives who are experiencing the same sense of “starting over.” Daphne Witt is weeks from turning forty, in a career that she never expected, and ready to start dating after a divorce. Her daughter Ellery is essentially untested in the world. Young, beautiful, accustomed to everything going her way, Ellery finds herself with a less than dazzling job, a distracted fiancé and, for the first time ever, doubts about who she is and where she’s going. When the novel begins, we find Daphne dealing with an awakened libido she thought long dead, and Ellery struggling to accept working for her mother and living with a fiancé who has little time for her. Both women redirect their dissatisfaction toward secret desires – Daphne for a much younger contractor, and Ellery for a secret email pal who thinks she’s her mother. Like the vines of a vineyard, things get tangled quickly by decisions that not only threaten the fragile mother-daughter relationship, but each woman’s future.
One thing I really like about Daphne is her self-awareness. She’s been content to stand in the wings while everyone else in her life commandeered the spotlight, but now she’s ready to take her turn on the stage. She’s bumbled into a dream she never knew existed as a children’s author, and she’s really good at what she does and becomes an overnight success. But her family, even her ex-husband, can’t seem to let go of the woman she once was. They want the old Daphne, the one who put everyone else before herself. I intentionally gave Daphne a secret crush on a younger man and had her pay attention to her sexuality. Women of a certain age are often set aside, as if their “ sexiness” has a shelf life. I wanted Daphne awakened to the fact that as a woman entering her forties, she still needed intimacy and affection. I wanted her to struggle with the guilt, be tempted, and have a little fun with someone…young enough to date her daughter.
Ellery is the girl I once was. I remember being invincible, tossing my curls over my shoulder as a flounced around in my cheerleading skirt. The world was about me and what I wanted, what I thought I deserved. I wasn’t a bad person, but I do remember my brother once bringing my requested shoes on a throw pillow, bowing, and saying “your slippers, my lady.” I led a charmed life…until life punched me in the face. It has a tendency to do that in your mid-twenties when you find out (gasp!) the world doesn’t revolve around you. So I wanted to take a princess, toss her in the mud, and see what happened. Ellery isn’t always likable, but she’s authentic. And by the end of the book, she sees her mother as a person and not just her mother. Both Ellery and Daphne have a big growth arc in this book.
Room to Breathe has secrets, twists, bad decisions, surprises, and angst, yet it also has humor, heat, and heart tugs. I love the guys in the book – Clay (the hot contractor), Gage (Ellery’s surprise crush) and Evan (the vineyard owner) and I really like the interactions between Ellery and Daphne. I think readers will recognize themselves most in Daphne, but they’ll also remember how hard it is standing on one’s own two feet as Ellery must do. I’m proud of this book about letting go and taking the lemons that life hands you, tossing them, and pouring a glass of wine. Cheers to all the women who aren’t afraid to start over and create their own new paths!
***
Excerpt
“What are you trying to say?” Daphne
asked. Ellery always tried to get her to go to exercise classes, but Daphne
preferred running most days. Organized classes had never appealed to her.
Exercise was her escape, a time she could jab in her earbuds and listen to
podcasts or a book that didn’t feature poodles and tea parties.
“That you isolate yourself out here.
Hanging out with Pop Pop and Tippy Lou isn’t exactly being social. You can make
friends in these classes, plus use muscles you never knew you had.” Ellery rose
and smoothed the T-shirt swing top she wore over a pair of ripped boyfriend
jeans. Several strands of delicate gold chain were layered around her neck. Her
daughter somehow managed to look stylish and trendy in sloppy clothes. Daphne
always looked . . . well, sloppy in sloppy clothes.
“Maybe,” she conceded, only because
her daughter was unfortunately correct. She enjoyed visiting her father and
playing dominoes with his friends, even if they were out of her age range. And
her neighbor Tippy Lou Carmichael, while delightfully droll and enigmatic to
the point of oddness, wasn’t going to go shopping with her or out to drinks.
Tippy Lou preferred herbal tea on her front porch while she watched the feral
cats she fed every morning chase lizards and laze about in her garden.
Daphne had always been the type of
person to have only a few close friends. Though she’d cultivated friendships
with many of the other teachers at Saint Peter’s Day School, where she’d worked
as a teacher’s aide for fifteen years before staying home to write, she’d never
been good at being social. She had church friends, a book club, and knew a few
local writers who wrote professionally, but her best friend, Karyn Little, had
moved to Idaho with her new husband over a year ago.
In a few short years, she’d lost her
husband to self-centeredness and her BFF to the land of potatoes.
“Not maybe. Definitely,” Ellery said,
looking over at her.
“Maybe I’ll try it.” Going to the
class with Ellery might help their relationship, something that Daphne couldn’t
seem to get back on track. She didn’t know what was wrong, how she should act,
whether she should have given Ellery a job or not. Daphne had only wanted to
make things better for Ellery. That’s what every mother did, right?
But Ellery had grown more and more
distant over the past few months. Daphne suspected that it had something to do
with something Rex had said, but Ellery wouldn’t open up. Any time Daphne asked
her what was bothering her or if she wanted to talk, her daughter would tell
her everything was “fine.” She’d begun to hate that word.
“I’m pretty much done for the day. I
have to mail these packages. These are a few of the winners from your online
party.” Ellery picked up a bag full of colorful pink envelopes, walked out the
door and right into Clay.
“Whoa, hey, Elle,” he said, grabbing
her elbow and steadying her. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“I saw you last week at Elmo’s,”
Ellery said, shrugging off Clay’s hand. “But I guess you were too trashed to
remember?”
“Hey, I was celebrating a new contract,
but, yeah, I guess I had a few too many.”
“Honestly, Clay, it’s time you grew
up,” Ellery said, pushing past him before spinning back. The Tom Ford scent she
wore tickled Daphne’s nose.
“Guys never grow up, do we?” Clay
joked.
“Some don’t.” Ellery gave him a flat
look.
Her daughter had dated several guys in
high school but had been tight-lipped when it came to information on what had
happened between her and Clay. Daphne vaguely remembered a dustup with the head
cheerleader for a rival school. Ellery had been only a sophomore, and Daphne
remembered Clay being her daughter’s first heartbreak. Ellery had rebounded
quickly with the quarterback for the Riverton Falcons. She had an uncanny
ability to hook a new, even cuter guy after each successive breakup through
high school and college.
Point in case—Josh was so pretty
angels sang when he walked by.
Daphne still didn’t know her
soon-to-be son-in-law very well because he was always studying, but he seemed
to truly care about her daughter. And that was what mattered most.
“I’m out, y’all.” Ellery disappeared.
Clay turned his pretty blue eyes on
Daphne. “Sorry to interrupt. I wanted to get your opinion on the marble. They
sent two different samples in your color range. One has a lot of movement, the
other is pretty simple.”
“Sure, I’ll take a look,” Daphne said,
following him outside her office and into the heat of late morning.
Ellery tossed the bag of packages into
the narrow back seat of her sleek new Lexus and gave them an absentminded wave.
“She’s a firecracker,” Clay said with
a smile before jogging down the front porch steps. Today he wore a T-shirt.
Thank God. The jeans fit him like a second skin, though. So now she had to
contend with the butt thing.
Not only had she practically drooled
over a shirtless Clay yesterday, but she’d actually rated the bag boy’s
backside that morning at the grocery store. Thankfully Steve the bag boy was
older than Clay, but she was now convinced her libido had written a memo titled
“Take Care of Your Sexuality before You Mount the Bag Boy.” She wondered if
something was wrong with her hormones. Or maybe she was ovulating. Something
other than going middle-aged crazy.
Wait, was turning forty years old
hitting middle age?
Nah. And technically she was still
thirty-nine for the next two months.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
ROOM TO BREATHE by Liz Talley is a new women’s fiction novel
focusing on a mother/daughter relationship that is struggling with shifting
roles.
Daphne Witt was pregnant and married all before she finished
high school. She made the most of her life and for years was a supportive wife
and mother. While working part-time at a pre-school, she shares a story she
wrote and illustrated. It is sent by one of the other children’s mother to a
publisher and suddenly she has a new career. As Daphne finds herself
flourishing, her husband and daughter are not happy to no longer be the sole
focus of Daphne’s attention.
Divorced and moving on with her life, Daphne attempts to
keep her close relationship with her 22 year- old daughter, Ellery, but it is
not working. Ellery is Daphne’s assistant to help with bills as she takes a
year off after not receiving the internship she dreamed of and she resents it.
Ellery has a plan that is piece by piece falling apart.
After the disappointment of losing the internship, she decides to come home to
live with her pre-med student fiancée. Ellery has been spoiled her whole life
and she is overspending, living on her father’s money and not happy in her
relationship or with her life in general, but she continues to deny there are
any problems.
Everything comes to a head on Ellery’s 23rd birthday
weekend at One Tree Estates Winery.
This story is easy to read and the narrative flows
effortlessly while the characters all go through serious issues. The focus is
on Daphne and Ellery’s relationship, but Daphne’s ex-husband and best friend
all play pivotal roles is the misunderstandings and eventual healing. I felt
the emotions and dialogue were realistic and believable for each character.
I enjoyed this story and all of the memorable characters.
***
About the Book
Title: Room To Breathe
Author: Liz Talley
Release Date: November 1, 2019
Publisher: Montlake
Summary
For a good part
of Daphne Witt’s life, she was a supportive wife and dutiful mother. Now that
she’s divorced and her daughter, Ellery, is all grown up, Daphne’s celebrating
the best part of her life, a successful career, and a flirtation with an
attentive hunk fifteen years her junior . . . who happens to be her
daughter’s ex-boyfriend.
Ellery is starting over, too. She’s fresh out of college. Her job prospects are
dim. And to support her fiancé in med school, she’s returned home as her
mother’s new assistant. Ellery never expected her own life plan to take such a
detour. With no outlet for her frustration, she lets an online flirtation go a
little too far, especially considering her pen pal thinks he’s corresponding
with her mother.
As love lives tangle, secrets spill, and indiscretions are betrayed, mother and daughter will have a lot to learn—not only about the mistakes they’ve made but also about the men in their lives and the women they are each hoping to become.
***
Author Biography
A finalist for
both the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart and RITA Awards,
Liz Talley has found a home writing heartwarming contemporary romance. Her
stories are set in the South, where the tea is sweet, the summers are hot, and
the porches are welcoming. She lives in North Louisiana with her childhood
sweetheart, two handsome children, three dogs, and a naughty kitty. Readers can
visit Liz at www.liztalleybooks.com.
I am very excited to share this Feature Post and Book Review on the Blog Tour for Susan Mallery’s new contemporary romance MEANT TO BE YOURS (Happily Inc Book 5). This is another heartfelt addition to the Happily Inc series. It can easily be read as a standalone.
Below you will find a Q&A with Susan Mallery, an excerpt, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. I hope you enjoy your time in Happily Inc as much as I did!
***
Q&A with Susan Mallery:
What was your favorite part about writing Meant to be Yours?
Ohhh, that’s a hard question! I love everything about writing romance. The first kiss is still magical to me. The passion, the emotional intensity. It’s a moment that changes the course of a person’s life. When you fall in love, your life is bisected into before and after. Love is transformative, and the greatest pleasure of my life is to write about it.
Jasper and Renee in particular were a lot of fun to write because Renee is just such a mama bear when it comes to protecting her brides. She’s a wedding planner at Weddings Out of the Box, a theme wedding venue in the town of Happily Inc. Jasper is a bestselling thriller writer who wants to set his next book at a wedding. Renee’s response made me laugh so loud that I’m pretty sure I scared my pets.
Jasper continued. “I thought I could follow you around for a few weeks, learn about the business and—”
“No,” she said firmly, as all thoughts of them having another close encounter faded from her mind. “You’re not getting your serial killer cooties on my weddings. I’m a big believer in keeping the energy positive and flowing forward. Do you know what a serial killer would do at a wedding?”
He stared at her, his gaze intense. “That’s what I was thinking. I want the serial killer to be a wedding crasher.”
“No,” she said firmly. “Just no.”
When Jasper goes behind her back to get intimately involved with one of her weddings, Renee vows to keep him from bringing darkness to her bride’s special day.
I also adored the animals in this book. In the beginning, Jasper doesn’t trust himself to let a woman into his heart. His simple but profound act of kindness to a dog who needs a home leads to him finally being ready to fall in love. The dog, Koda, is based on a reader’s real-life dog. I gave Koda the same adorable quirks and characteristics that make him special—and I gave Renee the reader’s last name in her honor.
Did you find out any funny or interesting facts about wedding planning when writing this book?
I have learned that brides and wedding planners are some of the most creative people in the universe. I can’t tell you how much time I spent on Pinterest, looking at pictures from theme weddings. There are some really beautiful themes, and some that are charming and humorous. Every theme uniquely reflects the bride and the groom in the most beautiful way. In Meant to Be Yours, Renee designs several lovely theme weddings with beautiful touches I think readers will enjoy. Here’s a snippet from one:
Jim and Monica Martinez were a sweet couple with a fun firefighter theme for their big day. There was a long tradition of firefighters on both sides of the family and plenty of cute touches in the wedding and reception.
Monica’s dress laced up the back and instead of white ribbon to cinch her gown, she’d used bright red. The centerpieces were ceramic boot vases painted to look like firefighter boots, filled with red, orange and yellow flowers. There was even a walk-through fountain at one end of the reception area, created with fire hoses, a pump and a lot of engineering.
Pay attention to that last sentence because I also discovered that a lot can go wrong when you invite a few hundred people to a party. Imagine a room filled with people who aren’t used to dressing up, plus a fountain made with fire hoses, and a wedding planner who will do anything to protect her bride.
Did Renee or Jasper surprise you while you drafted this novel?
They did! When I started this book, I thought Jasper was the more wounded of the two. But as I wrote, I discovered that Renee’s scars went deeper than I thought. She’s been keeping a secret from her friends in Happily Inc, a secret about her mother that has cost her jobs, friendships and romantic relationships. Just when she starts to feel safe and accepted in her new home, her mother comes for a visit. . .
Can you share about what you’re working on right now?
I’m working on revisions on the next Happily Inc book, a Christmas book that will be out next year. No title yet. It has all of the humor and heartfelt emotion readers love in my books—plus Christmas! I invited members of the Susan Mallery All Access group on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/susanmalleryallaccess) to suggest random items for me to incorporate into the story. When the book comes out next year, I’ll share a scavenger hunt list with my readers so they can find the objects as they read. It’s just a fun way for me to stay connected to my readers as I write.
Who is an author you draw inspiration from?
Years ago, the fabulous Debbie Macomber suggested to me that I stop writing series about families, and start writing series about people who live in the same town. That advice was the inspiration for my Fool’s Gold series, which led to my Happily Inc series, as well. I’ll always be grateful to Debbie for that.
Who is a book character you’d be best friends with?
Each of my heroines is someone I’d be friends with—after all, I spend months with them, so I want them to be people I enjoy hanging out with. As for best friends, I’ll go with Ellen Fox, heroine of The Friendship List, which will come out next year. Ellen had me laughing all the way through the book. She’s blunt and smart and would drop everything to help someone she loves.
She’s a single mom who got pregnant in high school. She had sex one time, got pregnant, and then… nothing. She’s basically a virgin with a kid. But when she discovers what she’s been missing, she has no inhibitions. Her lack of filter was a source of constant amusement for me. Every day, I was excited to get back to work so I could spend time with her again. Such a fun book to write!
What do you hope readers will experience or gain when reading Meant to Be Yours?
I hope Meant to Be Yours will be a happy escape for them, an entertaining break from the stresses of their daily lives. This is a book for readers who like to feel the sharp pings of emotion—and the release of laughter with a guaranteed happy ending.
What inspired you to write Meant to Be Yours?
I loved the humor inherent in the idea of a thriller writer wanting to research weddings, and a wedding planner who wants to keep his darkness away from her bride’s special day. Jasper is the kind of writer who does his research in tangible ways. Before he writes a fight scene, he blocks it out with his buddies—weapons and all. He wants to get the details right.
So when he decides to set his next book against the backdrop of a wedding, he’s determined to get those details right, too. And the only way to do that is to be involved with a wedding from start to finish. But Renee is determined to keep any hint of darkness away from her bride’s special day. It’s not an intellectual exercise to her—it’s someone’s wedding day, and that means something.
It’s just a humorous conflict that I thought would be a ton of fun to write. And it was!
Oh, and by the way, Jasper also decides that his detective character needs a love interest…so he needs someone to block out the kissing scenes with him, too. (Full confession: I do occasionally ask my husband for help with my research. 😉 )
What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
I’m active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter—but mostly on Facebook. I share book news on my main page, www.facebook.com/susanmallery. In the Susan Mallery All Access group, www.facebook.com/groups/susanmalleryallaccess, I share personal anecdotes and pictures, hold contests and play games. It’s a lot of fun, and everyone is welcome to join! (Unless you’re some weird spammer guy who wants me to marry you. Ew.)
***
Excerpt:
“It might just be okay,” wedding coordinator Renee Grothen murmured softly to herself as she surveyed the wedding reception. She wouldn’t risk admitting everything had turned out as planned until the last guest had left, but four and a half hours in, things were going really well.
Jim and Monica Martinez were a sweet couple with a fun firefighter theme for their big day. There was a long tradition of firefighters on both sides of the family and plenty of cute touches in the wedding and reception.
Monica’s dress laced up the back and instead of white ribbon to cinch her gown, she’d used bright red. The centerpieces were ceramic boot vases painted to look like firefighter boots, filled with red, orange and yellow flowers. There was even a walk-through fountain at one end of the reception area, created with fire hoses, a pump and a lot of engineering.
Renee walked around the perimeter of the indoor reception space, looking for problems. So far, so good, she thought with cautious optimism. The cake had been cut, the bar service was about to end and the tone of the party had faded from raucous to comfortably tired—exactly as it should. With a little luck, things would wrap up on time and without a crisis. This was Monica and Jim’s day—Renee wanted it to be as perfect as possible. While she always took care of her clients, she tended to unleash her mother bear instincts for her special couples and Monica and Jim certainly qualified.
She spotted Pallas Mitchell, her boss, walking toward her. It was nearly ten on a Saturday night and Pallas, a pretty brunette only recently returned from maternity leave, yawned widely. When she spotted Renee she held up her hands, palms up.
“What can I say? I’ve been home with an infant. These wild late-night hours are going to take some getting used to.”
“No one’s judging,” Renee told her. “As I said at seven, at eight and again at nine, go home. I can handle this. You’re barely back and you need to give yourself time to adjust to the schedule.”
“You’ve been running things for nearly six months. You need a break.”
In truth, Renee was a little ragged around the edges, but she’d loved handling Weddings Out of the Box while Pallas had been gone. She’d enjoyed the challenges each unique wedding presented and watching all the details fall into place on the big day.
“I had lots of help,” Renee pointed out. “Hiring college students on summer break was a good idea.” And what they’d lacked in experience, they’d made up for in energy and enthusiasm.
“Now that I’m back, things can return to normal,” Pallas said, covering another yawn.
“Go home,” Renee urged. “Please. I can handle things here. I promise.”
“Okay. I will. Thanks. Don’t you dare come in tomorrow.” Pallas’s voice was firm. “For once, we don’t have a Sunday wedding. Enjoy the break.”
“I will.” Renee would probably pop in to do a little paperwork, but she wouldn’t stay long. “Are you coming to The Boardroom on Monday night?”
In a wedding destination town, the rhythms of the residents were determined by weekend weddings. Happily Inc’s workweek started on Wednesdays as the businesses geared up for the dozens of nuptials that occurred in multiple venues. Which meant the town’s Friday night was actually on Monday.
The Boardroom, a local bar, hosted game nights on Mondays. Board games ruled and tournaments were heated and fun as friends crushed each other at everything from Candy Land to Risk.
Pallas shook her head. “I’ll admit to being a bit of a worrier. When we went a couple of weeks ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about Ryan. He’s only five months old. It’s too soon to leave him at night.”
Renee held in a smile. “Sure. I get that.”
“I know you don’t, but thank you for pretending. Have fun for me, too. Oh, Jasper’s back, so tell him hi, if you think of it.”
Jasper was back? Renee hadn’t heard. She liked knowing he’d returned from his big book tour. Not for any reason in particular, she amended hastily. Sure, he was nice, but there were a lot of nice guys in the world. There was just something about Jasper. Maybe it was because in addition to being good-looking and just a little dangerous, he wasn’t a forever kind of guy.
“I saw that!” Pallas grinned. “I totally saw that. You did the predatory smile thing I was never good at. You want to use him for sex! Did I know this?” She stomped her foot. “Did this happen while I was on maternity leave? What else went on while I was off having a baby?”
Renee laughed. “You’re reading way too much into my smile. I’m happy he’s home from his book tour. That’s all.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Jasper and I are not involved. I doubt we’ve had more than a three-sentence conversation.”
Not that it took many sentences to ask Your place or mine? And while the description of predatory was nice, it gave her too much credit. Would she stalk him and pounce? Not even on her best day. Would she say yes if the man asked? She smiled again. Oh, yeah, she would. Definitely. Okay, probably. If she was feeling brave. Because while she worked her butt off to give her couples their perfect happily-ever-after day, she knew it was never going to happen for her. Those who could—did. Those who couldn’t became wedding planners.
Avoiding relationships might be the smart choice, but it was also a lonely one. She knew Jasper was into the long-term, monogamous, not-serious kind of thing and she was pretty sure she could handle that. Assuming she was his type and he was interested. They could have some laughs, lots of sex and walk away completely unscathed in the heart department. Where was the bad?
“There’s something going on and you can’t convince me otherwise,” Pallas said. “You have depths. I’m very impressed. Okay, use Jasper and then tell me the details because hey, he’s got to be great.” She yawned again. “I’m such a lightweight. I’m leaving now.”
“Good night. Hug Ryan for me.”
“You know I will.”
Pallas walked out of the reception hall. Renee continued to circle the space, looking for any forgotten handbags or phones, and noting how long it would take the cleaning service to return the huge room to order. Doing her job and not thinking about the fact that Jasper was back—that was her.
A loud whoop got her attention. She turned and saw three teenaged guys running through the fountain at the far end of the big, open room. Each of them jumped, trying to touch the arc of water dancing overhead.
The younger brother, she thought as she made her way toward them. And his friends. No doubt they were bored after so many hours with not very much to do. Regardless, she was not going to have them disrupt the reception when it was so close to being over.
As she approached the running, jumping teens, she saw both sets of parents, along with the bride and groom, still dancing. They swayed in time with the music, oblivious to the fountain and the idiots messing with it. Then several things happened at once.
The younger brother started an extra long run toward the fountain. Jim let go of Monica and spun her out the length of their arms. Monica bumped her mom, who stumbled a little. Dad grabbed Mom, moving all of them closer to the fountain and the younger brother running, who had to swerve suddenly to avoid them. As he swerved, he lost his balance and slipped, tumbling into the fountain mechanism. One of the hoses broke free, wiggling and spraying water everywhere.
Renee saw it all happening and knew there was no way she was going to allow her beautiful bride to get soaked. She lunged for the hose, caught it and held it tightly against her chest as the bride’s father rushed to turn off the water to the hose. It took only seconds, but by then the entire fountain had spilled over and Renee was drenched, shivering and had water up her nose even as she wondered if she looked half as ridiculous as she felt.
The new Mrs. Martinez hurried over. “Renee, are you all right?” She turned on her brother. “How could you? This is a wedding, not a water park.”
Aware that end-of-wedding exhaustion could easily lead to emotions spiraling out of control, Renee quickly faked a smile.
“Monica, it’s fine. Don’t worry. Keeping you and the rest of the wedding party dry was my only concern.” She glanced at the water draining onto the floor and realized part of the fountain was still pumping out water. That couldn’t be good. If she couldn’t get everything turned off, she was going to have to call in one of those companies that took care of disasters like flooding. “Really. It’s no problem.”
“You’re dripping and the water’s rising. My dad went to find the main shutoff.”
Renee wrung out her hair and hoped her makeup wasn’t too badly smudged. Then she realized the water level in the reception hall was indeed climbing and hoped Monica’s father found the shutoff soon.
She was just about to go help him when he returned.
“All turned off.” He glanced at the mini flood. “Sorry about this.”
“It’s fine,” Renee lied, her tone soothing, because that was part of her job. To pretend all was well even when they needed to be figuring out how to build an ark.
The rest of the guests were heading out. Nothing like the threat of an unexpected flood to get people moving, she thought, trying to find the humor in the situation.
“I’m so sorry,” Monica told her as she held her dress out of the water and slipped out of her shoes.
“Don’t be. You had a wonderful wedding and reception. Why don’t you and Jim start gathering your things? I have a spare set of clothes in my office. I’ll get changed, then help you make sure you have everything.”
As she spoke, she noticed the water seemed to have settled at about the six- or seven-inch level. Yup, she was going to have to call someone. No doubt she would be here all night. Oh, joy.
“I’m really sorry,” Jim said. “We thought we’d planned for every contingency.” He glared at his new brother-in-law. “Except for stupid.” He turned back to her. “Let us know the cost of cleanup. We’ll pay for it.”
“Thank you. I think the deposit should take care of it but I’ll let you know if there’s a problem. Now if you’ll let me go get changed, I’ll be back with you in ten minutes.”
Monica nodded.
Renee slipped out of her shoes and walked through the ankle-deep water. When she reached her office upstairs, she carefully closed the door behind her before undressing, then slipped on jeans and a T-shirt. Not exactly professional, but she wasn’t going to worry about that right now. Before she returned to her bride and groom, she looked up the local disaster cleaning service. The number was in her files, but wasn’t one she had had to use before.
They picked up on the first ring.
“Happily Inc CleanUp. This is Hilde. How can I help you?”
“Hi. I’m Renee Grothen at Weddings Out of the Box. We had a firefighter wedding tonight with a big fountain. There was an accident with one of the hoses and now our main reception hall is flooded.”
There was a pause. “Um, did you say firefighter wedding? Never mind. How much water?”
“About six inches.”
“That’s a lot.”
“It was a big fountain.”
“Give us thirty minutes and we’ll be there.”
“Thank you.”
Renee hung up, gave herself a second to catch her breath, then headed back to deal with the bride, the groom, the flood and anything else that might happen tonight. Because with a wedding, it was always something.
***
My Book Review:
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
MEANT TO BE YOURS (Happily Inc Book 5) by Susan Mallery is a
contemporary romance set in the wedding destination town of Happily Inc. Even
though this is the fifth book in the series, it can easily be read as a
standalone romance with a complete HEA.
Renee Grothen is a wedding coordinator at Weddings Out of
the Box. She works hard at making sure everything is as perfect as possible for
such a memorable day for every couple. As happy as she is for each of the
couples, she believes that marriage is never to be in her future.
Jasper Dembenski is a successful suspense novelist who has
managed to make a comfortable life for himself in Happily Inc. Jasper had
severe PTSD when he left the Army and still feels he is broken and unable to
have any type of permanent relationship.
When the two are seated together on game night at The
Boardroom, there is an attraction that surprises them both. Neither is looking
for permanent, but can they have a no strings fling?
Renee soon becomes the inspiration for the female character that Jasper needs to add as a love interest in his book. As he writes and learns about his female character, he learns about relationships and his own life. Maybe he is not as broken as he believes. Renee may seem to have it all together, but she has a lot of secrets in her past that have shaped how she relates to her present. Is she willing to take a leap of faith and put her heart on the line one more time?
I read this book in one day. I was so engrossed in finding out how Ms. Mallery was going to take two people who believed they would never have a HEA for themselves and give them their HEA together. This romance has more H/h character development than most intertwined with realistic dialogue and sex scenes while also keeping you entertained with secondary characters and the weddings happening at Weddings Out of the Box. I felt empathy with Jasper right away, but it took finding out the secrets in Renee’s past for me to understand her and how she was emotionally damaged. Renee’s mom, Verity was a wonderful secondary character and I enjoyed how she interacted with all the people, pets and animals in Happily Inc.
I always know I will be engaged and entertained when I read a Susan Mallery romance. This is another heartfelt addition to the Happily Inc series.
***
Author Bio:
SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agree—40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.
Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She’s passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the two ragdoll cats and adorable poodle who think of her as mom.
CROSSROADS CORNER (Bendixon Sisters Book 3) by Brenda
Margriet is the third book of the contemporary romance trilogy featuring the
Bendixon sisters of Prince George and the men with whom they find their HEAs. I
read the first two books in the series and was anxiously waiting for Camryn’s story.
I was not disappointed. This romance can be read as a standalone, but the plotline
overall arc of saving Bendixon and Sons starts in book one and is resolved in
this third book.
Camryn Bendixon returns home to Prince George with no job,
no self-esteem and under police suspicion. Her embezzling ex-boyfriend besides
being the reason she had to leave her job, has run up all their credit cards,
not paid rent on their expensive condo and refuses to clear her with the police
of any knowledge of his crimes.
Camryn is determined to succeed at bring Bendixon and Sons
back from the brink of closing. She wants to prove to her family she can help
save the company, while getting back her own financial stability and self-esteem
in the process.
Will Danson manages the Prince George division of the
Kohlenburg Group. They are Bendixon and Sons major competitor and because of
their size, they are able to win the majority of new construction jobs. Over
the last year, since their move from Vancouver, Will and his young daughter have
settled into Prince George and enjoy the city.
Camryn and Will meet as they are competing for a new, lucrative
contract. Will is instantly attracted to the beautiful and smart Camryn
Bendixon, but Camryn is not letting another good-looking man take advantage of
her, no matter how nice he may seem. Can Camryn and Will keep their personal
lives and hearts separate from their competitive business lives?
Camryn and Will are wonderful together, but it was
definitely a bumpy road getting there. I loved how Ms. Margriet continually had
the characters at a breaking point both personally and/or professionally and
yet was able to find a compromise that was beneficial to both in the end. Will’s
daughter was written realistically with empathy, not sympathy. Also, the
ex-partner, Will’s daughter’s mother added a messy realism to the story which many
deal with themselves in today’s society. The dialogue was realistic, the plot flowed
smoothly right up to the climax and I finished the entire book in one sitting.
As in the other books in this series, the sex scenes are explicit and steamy. I
also enjoyed catching up with the other sisters, family and friends from the
first two books.
I highly recommend this romance!
I can also recommend the whole trilogy for three entertaining
and heartfelt contemporary romance reads.
THE INHERITANCE (A Port Henry Novel) by Amy Briggs is a contemporary women’s fiction with a mystery subplot. I do not agree with the romantic comedy description.
Riley Maxwell is a reasonably successful freelance writer
and copywriter who does it all from her small New York City apartment. Riley
prefers work over people. Her world is her writing and she only ventures out
into the neighborhood for food.
She is offered the amazing opportunity to write the biography of the wealthy Jamison Prescott from Port Henry, who requires all of Riley’s time and he pays for the privilege. When she is notified that Jamison has died, she is devastated. They respected each other and were friends. What comes as the ultimate surprise is that Jamison has left everything to Riley in his will. He not only leaves Riley all of his wealth, but also his beach house in ritzy Port Henry and his young Great Dane, Scrappy.
Donovan Hunter has succeeded in moving up the social ladder
in Port Henry. He has gone from being the son of the help to the successful veterinarian
to the rich and famous in Port Henry. Good looking and single, he especially
enjoys the summer crowd and the influx of females looking for a summer fling
and nothing more.
When Scrappy gets sick, Riley takes him to Donovan. She is
not interested in anyone or anything in Port Henry and cannot wait to leave it
behind and return to her apartment in the city, but Donovan suddenly finds he
is only interested in the new sassy heir.
Donovan wants Riley to stay and give their relationship a
chance at least for the summer. Riley does not know what she wants to do about
her all new found inheritance, but there is definitely a mystery involved in
why Jamison left everything to her.
This is an O.K. romance read, but I really did not connect
with Riley or Donovan. All the elements were there, but I felt like I was just
reading about two characters, I did not really fall into the story. The author
also left the main characters as boyfriend/girlfriend, not a HEA ending. I did
love Scrappy though and he added some funny moments. As I was progressing
through the story, I kept waiting to find out about Jamison and his connection
to Riley, but you only get a partial answer at the end and then a cliff-hanger
on the mystery. I was disappointed because the description had me believing
this was a standalone, but it is not. Not what I was hoping for, but others
might find it cute and want to continue on for the resolution of the mystery.
I am happy to be a part of this Release Blitz for Amy Briggs’ new book The Inheritance (A Port Henry Novel).
Below you will find a book description, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. I loved Scrappy, the Great Dane. As always, good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
Book Description:
Riley Maxwell spends her days working from her New York City apartment, designing websites and copywriting for clients around the world. Most of her exposure to people outside of her home base is her visits to the local Chinese takeout place down the street. Satisfied with her life of solitude, Riley’s summer gets turned upside-down when a wealthy client passes away, leaving her a beach house in Port Henry, New York, one of the wealthiest shore towns on the East Coast.
When the Great Dane, Scrappy, who—surprise!—she also inherited, gets sick, she takes him to the nearest veterinarian, where she meets Donovan Hunter. A ridiculously good-looking playboy, Donovan immediately gets under Riley’s skin, and she can’t wait to be rid of the house, the dog, and Port Henry. Dr. Hunter, on the other hand, can’t get enough of Riley’s sass and how different she is from the usual summer crowd.
As the summer passes and Dr. Hunter runs out of made-up reasons to get Riley and Scrappy back into the office, he cooks up a new strategy to catch her attention, setting a plan in motion to get the girl, and the dog.
Formerly a firefighter and EMT, Amy Briggs grew up next to a military base, which inspires many of her stories. Her love of fairy tales contrasted with suspense carries through each of her novels and she hopes to inspire readers to fall in love with love. Amy lives in Texas with her family where she spends her time at her family’s MMA gym and has more cats than she can handle.
Amy loves to hear from readers and can be found on all the social media here: www.facebook.com/amybriggsauthor, Instagram @amybriggs23 & on Twitter at @amybriggs23. You can also email her at amy@amybriggsauthor.com
Find a full list of all of Amy Briggs books at www.amybriggsauthor.com
