#excerpt – Page 45 – Avonna Loves Genres

Feature Post and Book Review: The Promise of Us by Jamie Beck

Hi, everyone!

I am very excited to share this Feature Post and Book Review for THE PROMISE OF US (Sanctuary Sound Book 2) by Jamie Beck. Below you will find an interview with the author, an excerpt from the book, my book review, a book summary and the author’s biography and social media links. At the end of the post is a Rafflecopter giveaway.

I actually missed my bus stop going to work because I was so engrossed in Claire and Logan’s story! This story is as heartwarming and realistic as it is emotionally heartbreaking at times. Have the tissues ready for this one. As always, good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!

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Interview with Author Jamie Beck

1. Can you give readers a quick snapshot of your newest novel The Promise of Us.

At its heart, this book is based on some favorite romance tropes (best friend’s older brother, unrequited crush, second chance-ish) although the circumstances are unusual. Basically, Logan returns to town to help his sister recover and, in his desire to help his sister mend fences with Claire, he hires Claire to redecorate his apartment. What starts out as a somewhat manipulative—though well-intentioned—plan flips on him. He remembers the version of Claire from before the gunshot wound and wants her to stop living in fear, so he sets about slowly challenging her limits to help her lead a fuller life. In the process, he falls for her, although his job and wanderlust (and Claire’s inability to forgive Peyton) conspire to make her push him away. Ultimately, they have to figure out how to compromise if they want things to work out.

2. What makes Claire and Logan’s story special to you?

Each book I write is special in its own way. I think what stays with me about this one is a sense of tenderness that developed in Logan that didn’t really exist before he spent more time with Claire. He was a fairly selfish guy (meaning he put his needs and career aspirations ahead of everything) for most of his life. His sister’s life-threatening illness was the first catalyst for change, but his relationship with Claire develops a new facet of his personality. I liked him so much by the end of the story. And I had fun writing Claire, despite her being a very nervous, conservative character at the outset.

3. Your heroine Claire has suffered tremendously (both physically and emotionally) yet she perseveres and has made a great life for herself. What gives her strength?

In my mind, Claire’s greatest strengths are her ability to be content with the little things and her gratitude for her family and friends. For the most part, she rarely laments her quiet life. When she had to give up her first love (tennis), she directed her energy into something else she enjoyed and made that a career. She feels that she is good at her job and she enjoys it, so that also gives her a sense of pride and accomplishment. I think her job (making old or ugly things pretty) is a bit of a metaphor for how she dealt with her injury.

4. Claire has had love and lost it. How has her past experience changed her?

I think losing her boyfriend to a best friend rocked her to the core. Those two betrayals shook a fundamental sense of trust in all relationships. And in love. She recovered much better from her physical injury that the emotional ones, that is for sure. In any case, this cynicism about love and friendship definitely makes it hard for her to believe anything Logan has to say, or to believe that he could truly love her.

5. What is her reaction to first seeing her childhood crush Logan?

She’s caught unaware, so she reacts badly, especially because she suspects he is trying to manipulate her. Hostile might be how some would describe her mental state, although Claire tempers her feelings most of the time, so it is more of a quiet rage with a hint of desperation to flee!

6. It seems like Claire and Logan are complete opposites. She is cautious about new experiences, while he jet sets around the world. Was it difficult to write about two very different characters?

No. They are opposites, but in a complementary manner. In other words, he is able to use his strengths (courage) to help her tap into her own, and she is able to use her strength (contentedness) to give him a sort of stability and affection sorely lacking in his life.

7. What common ground do your heroine and hero have?

The have the common ground of growing up in the same community, with all the values and ideals that help form us as children. They also have mutual friends and some shared history, which binds them. In terms of their interests, they are both creatives—him with photographs, her with fabrics and such—so they understand that way of seeing the world.

8. A hallmark of your writing is the maturity that your characters find throughout their journey of falling in love. What are some lessons that Claire and Logan must learn for them to get their happily-ever-after?

The hallmark of any well-written romance (of which there are plenty) is that its characters will have a strong arc (they will grow and become better, stronger individuals). In this story, Claire needs to learn to take risks again, and to trust that, come what may in life or love, she will survive and be okay. Logan needs to learn to compromise, and to learn that the relationships he makes in the here and now are more likely to bring true happiness than achieving any aspirational goal.

***

The Promise of Us Excerpt

“What are you thinking?” Claire dropped her hands to the table.

Steffi shook her head, waving one hand. “Nothing.”

“Don’t lie. Is there another problem I’m not aware of?”

“No.” Steffi inhaled, held her breath, then exhaled slowly.

“I know of one project that would make a sweet profit and let you really stretch your talent. ‘Sky’s the limit’ kind of budget.”

Excitement lifted Claire’s spirit, straightening her spine. Anything that accelerated plans to open a retail outlet merited her attention. “Sounds amazing. What’s the catch?”

Steffi hesitated.

“Never mind. You won’t take it, so let’s move on.” Steffi spooned whipped cream into her mouth. “Oh! Molly says that Mrs. Brewster is thinking of remodeling her master bath.”

Mrs. Brewster’s late husband had left her comfortably well off, but you’d never know it. She clipped every coupon available to humanity—Claire had been behind her at the grocery store more than once. She put only two dollars in the collection basket at church each week, despite having enough money to leave more. And she gave out bite-size candy at Halloween. Bite-size!

“We can’t rely on Ryan’s mom as our major source of leads, and Mrs. Brewster spending big bucks on a remodel sounds improbable..” She leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Don’t make me beg. If you have a solution, I won’t dismiss it out of hand, I promise. I’m not an idiot. We need income. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep the doors open.”

Steffi went still, her chin just above the mug held midair. “Whatever it takes?”

Claire’s hair stood on end, but she motioned “Let’s have it” with both hands.

Steffi hesitated. “How would you like to redecorate a high-end condo in Chelsea?”

“In the city?” Her entire body prickled painfully at the thought of putting herself in the midst of that chaos and danger. She’d already been one madman’s random victim. Manhattan teemed with crazy people, not the least of whom were the ones who drove their cars like heat-seeking missiles. “Who’d hire us instead of any of the premier designers there?”

Steffi met Claire’s gaze. “Logan.”

Claire’s tongue seemed to swell and turn sticky. Work with Logan … Her blood thickened like warm syrup. Tingles and terror all at once—a sensation she both loved and loathed. Her own brand of crazy. Maybe she did belong in New York, after all. “No.”

“You just said you’d do whatever it takes.”

“Not that. Never that.” Claire didn’t need to look into a mirror to know that her fair, lightly freckled cheeks now looked like someone had smeared them with ripe strawberries.

“As I suspected.” Steffi shrugged nonchalantly, as if she hadn’t just pulled the pin from a grenade and dropped it on the table. “So that leaves us a little tight until something else comes up. In terms of our social media presence, I just read an article …”

Claire heard Steffi talking, but the words ran together like white noise because Claire’s brain was still stuck on the idea of working with—no—for Logan Prescott. His obvious ploy made her want to laugh. Did he really think he could buy her forgiveness for his sister? Well, Claire would never, ever forgive Peyton. Not even if he paid her a million dollars to renovate his condo.

“Claire? Did you hear anything I said?” Steffi turned her hands out in question.

“Sorry.” She rubbed the scowl from her forehead. “I’ll find another way to turn up new leads. Working with Logan is a hard no.”

“Too bad. You’d have so much fun decorating his place. I’m sure he’d let you do whatever you wanted. Anything would be better than how it looks now. Guess he never cared before, since he was rarely around to enjoy it.”

Only a Prescott would own a million-dollar property that sat vacant as often as it was occupied.

“I’m not an idiot.”

“Did I call you one?” Steffi had the gall to look stunned.

“This has Peyton’s paw prints all over it. I’d bet my last penny that she put him up to it. I don’t know what I hate more, that she did it, that you took the bait, or that she knows we’re desperate for money.”

“It’s not a conspiracy. I mentioned that I felt bad about putting you in this situation because of this home. Logan tossed out the idea on the spot.”

“I can’t deal with the strings that would come with his offer.” Except now Claire couldn’t focus on anything else because thinking about Logan took up all the space in her head. If Peyton hadn’t stolen Todd, she might’ve pounced on a chance to work closely with Logan. Of course, then she wouldn’t have been free to act on her desire. Not that she had ever acted on it before Todd, either. The hawkish way Logan could stare at her turned her to jelly around him and—oh, just no. “I thought you finally understood that.”

“I do. That’s why I wasn’t going to say anything.” Steffi crossed her arms. “You forced me to tell you.”

True enough. Logan’s image flickered through Claire’s mind again, poking at the tender spot of her pointless longing, like always.

She shook her head, dislodging all thoughts of Logan. “I’ll catch up with Mrs. Brewster and pitch a proposal for her bathroom. But we also have to scrape together funds to advertise and update the website, and you need to scare up reno work pronto. Promise me we’ll earmark new revenue toward retail space—”

A knock at the door interrupted her monologue.

Steffi rose from the table and disappeared around the corner.

From the other room, Claire heard Steffi’s surprised voice say, “Oh, we didn’t expect you so early.”

“Hope that’s not a problem,” replied Logan, in his unmistakable baritone.

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE PROMISE OF US (Sanctuary Sound Book 2) by Jamie Beck is a contemporary romance with characters I know I will be thinking about well beyond “The End” of this book. Ms. Beck’s characters in The Sanctuary Sound series are realistically written and fully fleshed enough to walk right off the page. Even knowing my HEA will arrive, the journey is never easy or cookie-cutter in Ms. Beck’s Sanctuary Sound books.

Claire McKenna is the artistic design half of the fledgling company she started with one of her closest childhood friends in her hometown. She has rebuilt her life since losing her promising career as a professional tennis player to a random bullet to the hip in the local mall and her boyfriend who dumped her and left town with her other best friend. Claire was focused on her career and travelled the country, but now she allows her fear to build a wall around her hometown and never takes any risks.

Logan Prescott lives every day trying to live up to his famous grandfather’s legacy. He is a photographer who travels the world trying to find the job that will give him fame and recognition. When his sister is diagnosed with breast cancer, he comes home to be by her side. They have returned to the family home to document Peyton’s cancer fight and Logan would like to get Claire’s forgiveness for his sister, who is the one who stole Claire’s boyfriend.

Logan offers Claire the job of remodeling and decorating his NY condo for enough money to get the store front she wants for the business. He turns on his charm to get Claire to take the job, but he soon finds that Claire has changed and he wants to help her get over her fears as much as he wants forgiveness for his sister. Claire has had a crush on Logan since they were young. Can taking risks with Logan free her or break her all over again?

Get the tissues ready. Claire and Logan are opposites that attract and in the end fill the empty spaces in each other, but not without a lot of emotional growth. Claire’s fears after the shooting and her parents’ over-protectiveness, Peyton’s breast cancer journey and Logan’s emptiness were realistically written and intertwined into a beautiful story. They are imperfect characters that are all changing and on a journey to forgiveness and understanding. The sex scenes are behind closed doors or PG rated. This book can standalone, but Claire’s partner, Steffi has a great story in book 1 of this series that you will not want to miss.

I highly recommend this romance, series and author!

***

About the Book

Title: The Promise of Us

Author: Jamie Beck

Release Date: April 9, 2019

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Summary

Claire McKenna knows about loss. The bullet wound that ended her promising professional tennis career drove her to make a quiet life for herself working with fabric samples, chatting with her book group, and spending time with her parents in her sleepy coastal Connecticut hometown. Then there was the boyfriend who dumped her to pursue her adventurous childhood friend. Now, Claire’s business has hit a financial snag, but she’s up to the challenge. After all, she can survive anything. At least she thinks so . . . until her teen crush, Logan, returns to town with his sister, Claire’s traitorous friend.

Photographer Logan Prescott is more playboy than homebody. But his sister’s illness teaches him that there’s more to life than chasing the next thrill. Bent on helping her win Claire’s forgiveness, he turns his charm on Claire and offers her big bucks to renovate his multimillion-dollar New York City condo.

After years of playing it safe, Claire must now take some risks. The payoff could be huge, but if it all falls apart, can her heart recover from another loss?

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Author Biography

National bestselling author Jamie Beck’s realistic and heartwarming stories have sold more than one million copies. She’s a Booksellers’ Best Award and a National Readers’ Choice Award finalist; and critics at Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist have respectively called her work “smart,” “uplifting,” and “entertaining.” In addition to writing, she enjoys dancing around the kitchen while cooking and hitting the slopes in Vermont and Utah. Above all, she is a grateful wife and mother to a very patient, supportive family.

For fun tips, exclusive content, and a chance to win the monthly birthday reader box, please sign up for her newsletter at jamiebeck.com.

Jamie also loves interacting with everyone on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JamieBeckBooks.

Social Media Links 

Website: http://www.jamiebeck.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamieBeckBooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerjamiebeck

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8020971.Jamie_Beck

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Rafflecopter Giveaway

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Feature Post and Book Review: Risky Play by Rachel Van Dyken

Hi, everyone!

Below you will find the Feature Post for Rachel Van Dyken’s new release RISKY PLAY (Red Card Book 1). It is book one of a contemporary romance series featuring professional soccer players. This post includes a guest post from the author, an excerpt, my book review, the author’s social media information and a Rafflecopter giveaway.

This is a great start to a new series. I hope you enjoy all of the information in this post and as always good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway.

Why Sports Heroes Make the Best Book Boyfriends by Rachel Van Dyken

Hey everyone! I’m Rachel Van Dyken, author of over eighty (holy crap) books in multiple genres, one of my favorites being, sports romance! My latest book, Risky Play, is about two broken main characters who find themselves on a last minute holiday to Puerto Vallarta.

Pro Soccer player Slade Rodriguez is trying to lay low after finding out his girlfriend and his ex teammate hooked up behind his back, for over a year. Licking his wounds he changes teams and moves to Seattle, but isn’t ready to settle down yet. Needing time to himself, he gets on the first jet out. He sits next to Mackenzie Dupont on a plane and is immediately intrigued, especially since a few hours into the plane ride, they have single engine failure. She asks him what one thing he would do different. And they kiss. Once the plane safely lands, to protect his own identity, he gives her a fake name, Hugo. What he doesn’t realize is she’s famous in her own right, so she does the same thing. After all, she’s running away from a broken engagement.

What follows is a whole lot of steaminess and taking chances with a complete stranger assuming that it’s just that, a one night stand, a two night stand. Whatever it is, Mackenzie’s obsessed with “Hugo’s” intense golden gaze, the eight pack helps, and the fact that he seems genuinely interested in everything she says. He promises the universe he’s going to keep her, but sometimes the universe is against us. Tragedy strikes and they go their separate ways only to meet again in Seattle, this time, sparks fly and not the good kind The “I want to kiss you, then strangle you, then kiss you again” kind.

I love writing sports romances because I think it adds this extra layer of pressure from the press to act a certain way. Not only does Slade have to deal with paparazzi but he has pressure to perform, to lead his team to the championships after training with another team. I think it brings in so many details from behind the scenes that we never think about when watching sports on TV. I’m fully dedicated to interviewing real athletes (and my last sports romance I interviewed NFL players). This time I wanted to focus on a sport that isn’t as huge here as it is internationally and really do it justice. These athletes eat, sleep, and breathe their sport, there isn’t a lot of time for a personal life and if you do have one, the balance is always going to be a struggle (not to mention the fact that Slade is still mourning). In this book, I wanted to introduce a really strong female character that wouldn’t let Slade project all those feelings and basically Mackenzie is the type of girl that doesn’t put up with his crap. I think it’s important to have strong female characters that women can look up to. I love that during the entire journey my heroine doesn’t give up. She knows her worth and demands that Slade recognize it too.

All in all it was such a fun book to write, I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

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Excerpt: Risky Play by Rachel Van Dyken

I was kissing her again.

Maybe it was because it had been months since I’d had a decent kiss, since I’d jumped into the arms of anyone who didn’t know me by name.

I could be Hugo for a few days.

Hugo seemed spontaneous.

Hugo seemed relaxed.

Hugo seemed fun.

I sure as hell needed some fun.

I broke away from her kiss and trailed my fingertips down her chin. “So, now that we’ve established the plane didn’t crash and we’re here side by side, what did you have in mind?”

Ashley grinned up at me, her eyes a bit hesitant as she looked from me to the ocean. “Well, I’ve never gone cliff diving, I heard there’s a great place close by.”

My eyebrows shot up. “No offense, but you don’t seem like a thrill seeker.”

She laughed. I decided I liked the way her laugh relaxed me, made me respond with a smile and a need to kiss her again. “I’m not, trust me.” She sobered a bit. Her lips turned down.

I wanted nothing more than to press a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth just to see if it would it make it decide to smile in my direction again.

“But it would be fun, I need fun.”

I sighed heavily and looked at my feet. When the hell had I ever looked away like that? “That makes both of us.”

“Great!” She walked ahead of me into her penthouse suite, which matched mine even in color. I suddenly wondered what she did for a living. I mean I could afford it because I had been the highest paid soccer star in Europe for the last ten years.

The place was around three grand a day.

I eyed the large master suite as she ran around and then held up her hand. “One sec, I’m going to change into a suit, alright?”

“Great.” I smiled reassuringly. It would give me time to look around, not that I was stalking her, but I could never be too careful. I was still surprised she didn’t recognize me. And I knew when she did, this little facade, this freedom I felt in my chest, the easy way she let me breathe around her? It would go to hell, and I’d need another escape.

I thumbed through a few of the magazines on the table, and dropped the last one down just in time to hear the sliding bathroom door open and see a goddess emerge.

A one-piece swimsuit covered her body. It had a plunging neckline that showed off two generously sized breasts, and I immediately regretted not telling her who I was.

Because clothing tended to get pulled off, not put on, when I was in the room.

I eyed the scrap of material she called a swimsuit, my eyes raking over her muscular legs, her curvy body.

“Unless you’re jumping naked, you should change too,” she pointed out, then cleared her throat and looked away like she was insecure. Damn, the woman could make a man cut his own heart out for a taste of her special brand of sin.

I peeled my shirt off over my body and shrugged. “Ready.”

Her eyes went so wide I had to fight not to laugh.

I knew what she saw.

I had Instagram pages dedicated to my eyes alone, don’t even get me started on my abs.

Eight.

Tight, packed abs, all tanned and golden like I was the sun god himself.

“Uh, right.” Her cheeks brightened as she clasped her hands together. “Let’s go!”

I checked her out the entire time she walked ahead of me, and when she caught me staring I just shrugged and said, “Next time wear more clothes if you don’t want me to look.”

“You should talk,” she fired back.

“Misunderstanding.” I grinned. “I wanted you to look.”

She slapped a hand against my bare chest.

I laughed, and then grabbed her hand and kissed her fingertips. “You ready to jump off a cliff with a stranger you’ve kissed twice?”

“Once,” she corrected with a whisper. “I kissed you, you kissed me, we’re even.”

The doors to the elevator opened as I whispered under my breath. “Not for long.”

***

My Book Review:

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

RISKY PLAY (Red Card Book 1) by Rachel Van Dyken is the first contemporary romance in a new series featuring pro soccer players.

Mackenzie “Mack” Dupont had her fiancée walk away from her at the altar. Splashed across all of the society pages, Mack’s humiliation leads her to taking her already scheduled honeymoon trip to Mexico alone to get away. She is ready to lose her virginity and live life on her terms.

Slade Rodriguez is now the highest paid striker in the American soccer league. After finding out his fiancee was pregnant with a teammate’s baby he knew he had to change his life and location. Before the new season begins, he is off to Mexico to hide out and get away from the paparazzi.

When Mack and Slade come together, what they hope can be more turns into a one-night-stand with Mack waking up alone and wondering why everyone leaves her.

Slade has tragic personal reasons for vanishing from Mexico without a goodbye. Grieving and blaming the stranger for his loss, Slade is shocked when Mack shows up at his door as his new personal assistant. Mack cannot believe who opens the door for her new temporary job. They both have a lot to learn about each other after all the lies. Slade needs to let his grief and anger go and Mack refuses to be walked all over anymore. What they do not know is that they have a common enemy who wants to ruin them both.

Mack is such a great heroine. She had a lot of emotional growing up to do. She starts out just rolling along filling everyone else’s expectations and doing all the right things. After having two major emotional upsets, she learns to stand up for herself and make herself first and she does this without becoming bitter or hard. I love sports, but I do not necessarily like the players, young men with too much money, too many women and bad attitudes. I had a hard time liking Slade and his treatment of Mack at first when she ends up working for him, but he did redeem himself and had me cheering for him in the end. The author’s writing has made me interested in finding out more about the other players in future books.

I loved the dialogue in this book. It feels realistic and had me laughing out loud and near tears at times. Ms. Van Dyken brings her characters to life on the page. The sex scenes are hot and explicit and at times funny, but they never felt gratuitous. The secondary characters were fully fleshed out and realistic. This is a new to me author that I am looking forward to following in the future.

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About the Book

Title: Risky Play

Author: Rachel Van Dyken

Release Date: March 19, 2019

Publisher: Skyscape

Series: Red Card, Book 1

Summary

What else can a virgin do when she’s ditched at the altar? Seattle heiress Mackenzie Dupont is treating herself to a single-girl honeymoon in Mexico and a desire to relinquish her innocence to a gorgeous one-night stand. Fake names. True pleasure. But when she wakes up alone, Mackenzie realizes just how much anger is left in her broken heart.

Suffering a tragic personal loss, pro soccer player Slade Rodriguez has his reasons for vanishing without a goodbye. Right or wrong, he’s blaming the beautiful and infuriating stranger he never wants to see again. They’re both in for a shock when Mackenzie shows up as his new personal assistant. And they both have a lot to learn about each other. Because they share more than they could possibly know, including a common enemy who’s playing his own games. And he’s not afraid to get dirty.

Now there’s only one way Mackenzie and Slade can win: to trust in each other and to stop hiding from the lies they’ve told, the secrets they’ve kept, the mistakes they’ve made, and the attraction that still burns between them.

***

About the Author

Rachel Van Dyken is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and #1 New York Times bestselling author known for regency romances, contemporary romances, and her love of coffee and Swedish fish. Rachel’s also recently inked a deal for her Wingmen Inc. series—The Matchmaker’s Playbook and The Matchmaker’s Replacement—to be made into movies.

A fan of The Bachelor and the Seattle Seahawks (not necessarily in that order), Rachel lives in Idaho with her husband, a super cute toddler son who keeps her on her toes, and two boxers. Make sure you check out her site, www.RachelVanDykenauthor.com, and follow her on Twitter (@RachVD).

Social Media Links

Website: http://rachelvandykenauthor.com/home

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelVanDyken

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachVD

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4882127.Rachel_Van_Dyken

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Feature Post and Book Review: Tumble by Adriana Locke

Hi, everyone!

Below is the Feature Post for Adriana Locke’s new book TUMBLE (Dogwood Lane #1). This is the start of a new contemporary romance series set in the small town of Dogwood Lane, TN. Also included in this post is a message from the title’s hero, an excerpt, my book review, the author’s info and social media and a Rafflecopter giveaway for you.

This first book in the series is a second chance romance and also introduces several secondary characters that I am looking forward to reading about in their own books in the future. Good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway and enjoy!

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Guest Post: Spend a Morning with Dane Madden, The Hero of TUMBLE

I looked in the mirror this morning to shave. As I lifted the razor to my cheek, I saw a little scar that sits just to the side of my right eye. It’s not something most people would ever notice. Hell, I don’t notice it every day. But the light caught it just right and suddenly it was all I could see.

I’m Dane Madden, the carpenter, not Dane Madden the philosopher, so why I stood there for a good five minutes remembering the night I got that scar is beyond me. But I did. I thought about how the barbed wire caught my skin and ripped the flesh and how Neely Kimber’s face filled with so much concern I was kind of glad I was bleeding.

She and I were inseparable back then. From the moment she opened the door and our eyes locked, there was a bond between us that grew stronger. We went from finding ways to bump into each other, to hanging out with a group of friends, to dating in the sincerest way. She wasn’t just a girl. Neely wasn’t a pretty face I wanted on my arm, or in my bed as things evolved, like many of the guys I knew back then labeled their girlfriends. She was more than that to me—my best friend. My confidant when things with Dad went sour. My trusty right hand that bailed my ass out of more trouble than I was worth.

The night my eye was cut, she remembered to go back and get my hat so it wouldn’t be found the next day. Had she not done picked up the evidence, the farmer whose cows my friends and I had been trying to tip (terrible idea, if you’re wondering) would’ve been able to track the mess in his field to me and my friends.

Dogwood Lane is a small town. Word gets around easy enough without trying. Then there was the night my brother Matt, our friend Penn, and I went corning around Halloween. That’s another terrible idea, if you’re wondering, and involves throwing shucked corn at cars passing by. Let’s just say a certain driver in an oversized pick-up truck didn’t appreciate the sentiment. After being chased on foot to the outskirts of town, we had to hide in a chicken coop until Neely could come get us. Despite my antics, she was there. She might’ve laughed at me or pointed out how stupid we were, but she took my worst right along with my best.

Our lives were entwined by shenanigans, stories, and so much love. Damn, I loved her. I didn’t know where she stopped and I started. I didn’t want to know. She was the best thing in my life. She made me better. And that was the ruination of us because I couldn’t bear to think I would make her life worse.

Seeing her again after all these years lit a fire inside me that I didn’t think was possible. I haven’t felt this burn since the day I walked off her porch having broken her heart. I want to talk to her, touch her, hold her and I can’t do any of it. Even though so much of our lives were built together, our memories from the easiest time of our lives shared, we aren’t those people anymore. And it’s all my fault.

***

Tumble Excerpt

Splat!

The sound of the hammer crushing my thumb—swung with more force than was necessary, to boot—ricochets across the front lawn. The tool falls from my hand, striking against the sawhorse, and flips into the soft grass with a gentle thud.

“Son of a…!” My hand shakes, the top of my thumb threatening to explode. I tilt my head to the sky and try to find some peace in the clouds.

I come up empty. “Matt!” I call to my younger brother. “I’m taking ten.”

He nods from halfway up the ladder leaned against the side of the house.

Wrapping my good hand around my thumb, I head toward my truck. Sounds of construction ring out behind me. It’s usually music to my ears, the lifeblood of the Madden name. But each cut of a sawblade, buzz of a power drill, and swing of a hammer feels like a distraction this morning. I have a throbbing thumb to show for it.

Beads of sweat cluster along my forehead. I remove my hat with my good hand and run the back of my forearm along my brow.

“Damn it.” Everything feels sticky. Mildly irritating. And the progress on the project that usually energizes me has failed me epically this morning. I just don’t want to be here. Not that I have a better place to be. Quite frankly, I have a lot of places I shouldn’t be, and with Neely, or thinking about Neely, is one of them.

I would’ve recognized her anywhere. Same gray eyes that glimmer like she’s about to tell you a secret. Full lips that spread into a smile so infectious you can’t help but feel your own mouth following suit. The hint of floral perfume, the golden hair that may as well be silk, and the aura about her that’s just as strong as the day she left Dogwood Lane and me—it’s all the same. It’s like time forgot to age her. She somehow has become more beautiful, sexier, stronger.

The world hates me. I’ve postulated this for a long time, but it’s obvious today.

The tailgate of my truck lowers. Scooping a handful of ice from the cooler in the bed into a bandanna, I wrap it around my injured digit. The relief lasts only a few moments.

“What are you doing down here?” Penn rests his forearms over the side of the truck, the tattoos carved in his skin like mini masterpieces on full display. He eyes my makeshift bandage. “What happened to you?”

“Hammer,” I groan, adjusting the ice.

“That’s interesting.”

“How you figure?”

“Never knew you to hit yourself with a hammer before. I find that interesting.”

“If that’s interesting, you need a hobby. Or you could work like I’m paying you to do . . .”

“I have a hobby, thank you, and you should’ve seen her last night,” he says, smacking his lips together. “Lord Almighty, she’s a—”

“Penn.”

“Yeah?”

The tip of my finger sticks out of the bandanna. It’s bright red and hot to the touch despite the ice packed around it. “All your escapades really sound the same at this point.”

“Is that jealousy I hear?” He cups his hand to his ear. “I thought so. Not my fault you’re in a dry spell.”

Leaning against the truck, I look at him. “Jealousy isn’t how I’d describe it. But if that makes ya feel good, go for it.”

“My hobby makes me feel good.” He moves his lips around, like he’s fighting the next words trying to pop out. He does this when he knows he shouldn’t say something but can’t quite convince himself not to. “From the looks of you, I’d say you’re more than jealous. I’d say you’re . . . tempted.”

My tongue presses on the roof of my mouth. “Tempted to what?”

He leans against the truck, too, the gold St. Christopher’s medal he’s worn since elementary school clamoring against the side. The corners of his lips nearly touch the corners of his eyes. He knows.

“Word travels fast, huh?” I say, prodding around to see if my guess is right.

He slow blinks. Twice.

“What?” I ask.

“That’s all you have to say about Neely being back in town? ‘Word travels fast.’ What’s wrong with you?”

We don’t have time for that conversation.

I sigh. “What do you want me to say?”

“I’d love to have been a fly on the wall for that little run-in.” Penn snickers. “Did you stutter around like I imagine? Or did you not manage to say an entire sentence?”

Working my jaw back and forth, I point a finger his way. “You better stop while you’re ahead.”

He reads me correctly, and his animation drops a notch. “Really, though. How’d it go? But before you answer that, let me toss out there that I heard sparks were flying all over the diner so hot Claire had to call the fire department.”

I shake my head. “Shut up.”

“Just telling you what I heard.”

“The firemen were there to order food, you idiot.”

He thinks he’s onto something. There’s a glee in his face that means only one thing: it’s going to be a long day around here.

“So, what happened?” he asks, resting his arms over the truck bed.

“You know, sometimes I think you should’ve been a girl with all the gossiping you do.”

“This isn’t gossip,” he contends. “This is Neely-freaking-Kimber, man. Every memory I have of my entire adolescence has her in it. She bailed me out of jail when I was too scared to call my dad and you and Matt were passed out on moonshine. Remember that?”

My chuckle is so hard, it causes my thumb to throb. “I forgot about that. She was pissed.”

“Neely came through, though. God, I miss her.”

Those last words echo through my mind.

I have shoved her out of my head for the last few years. Took over Dad’s business, took care of my business. Trudged forward without her because that was the only choice I had. I hardly even think about her anymore unless someone brings her up in conversation.

So why do I itch to crawl into the truck and hunt her down?

***

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

TUMBLE (Dogwood Lane #1) by Adriana Locke is a second chance contemporary romance that is the first book in a new series set in the small town of Dogwood Lane, TN. The hero and heroine have some issues that are still as fresh today, 10 years later, as they were when the heroine left town for college and then on to New York City to work in sports publishing.

Neely Kimber was on track to achieve her dream job until she was cheated out of a promotion. She quit and returned home to Dogwood Lane and her childhood home to lick her wounds and regroup. She is happy to be home with her mom until she runs into the boy, now man, who broke her heart and is the main reason she stayed away for so long.

Dane Madden knows he is the reason Neely has stayed away. He hurt her in the worst possible way, but it gave him his daughter, Mia so he cannot regret it. Now she is back in town and she ends up helping at the gym were Dane’s daughter is a junior gymnast. Even though Dane knows Neely is only home for a short time, he cannot stop himself from pursuing her and letting her get close to Mia.

Is a career in New York City really what this small town girl’s heart really wants? Can the past be forgiven and this couple become a family?

I have to say that I was having some difficulty in the first few chapters liking Neely, UNTIL I found out what Dane had done. I felt that Ms. Locke’s handling of all the strong emotions is well written and realistic. There is only one sex scene not behind-closed-doors and it is not overly explicit.

The secondary characters are all entertaining and I am looking forward to reading their stories in future books in this series.

***

About the Book

Title: Tumble

Author: Adriana Locke

Release Date: February 26, 2019

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

After being burned by her dream job in New York City, sports journalist Neely Kimber suddenly finds herself jobless and paying a long-overdue visit to her hometown in Tennessee. Her plan? Relax, reset, and head back up the corporate ladder. There’s just one unexpected step. Neely’s back in Dogwood Lane for barely a day when she sees the man she ran from nine years ago: the bad boy next door who was her first kiss, her first love, and her first heartbreak.

Devoted single dad Dane Madden knows he hurt Neely in the worst way. He’s got a lot to make up for. And as passionate as their reconnection is, it’s a lot to hope for. Having her back in his arms feels so right. But falling in love all over again with a woman who wants to live a world away is bound to go so wrong.

What’s it going to take for Neely to give him—and Dogwood Lane—just one more chance?

***

Author Biography

USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys dreamed up by other authors, she decided to create her own. She is the author of Tumble, the first novel in her Dogwood Lane series; the Exception series; the Gibson Brothers series; and the Landry Family series.

She resides in the Midwest with her husband, her sons, two dogs, two cats, and a bird. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice, and there’s always a piece of candy in her pocket. Besides cinnamon gummy bears, boxing, and random quotes, her next favorite thing is chatting with readers. She’d love to hear from you! Look for her at www.adrianalocke.com.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.adrianalocke.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoradrianalocke

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authoralocke

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8379774.Adriana_Locke

***

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Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Nice and Easy by Erin Nicholas

Hi, everyone!

I am so happy to bring you this Feature Post on Erin Nicholas’ new book NICE AND EASY (Boys of the Big Easy #3). This entire series is smokin’ hot and makes you want to get to NOLA immediately to find one of these boys for yourself.

Below you will find the book blurb and an excerpt, my book review and all of the author’s contact information. There is also a link to get the first book in the series Easy Going for FREE.

***

Nice and Easy, an all-new sexy standalone in the Boys of the Big Easy series from New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas available now!

A hot firefighter who just wants to take care of her and her little boy? Sign her up.

Moving in with him and his little girl who already has a huge chunk of her heart? Very nice.

Roommates with benefits? Yes, please.

Convincing this take-charge alpha to let her take care of him too? That’s not going to be as easy.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UQyqqs

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2BtfRjg

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/NiceandEasy

Nook: http://bit.ly/2Qylojd

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2Glvq2a

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2MWtNaW

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2QQQUs3

***

Excerpt:

Lexi could feel Caleb’s breath on her lips, and his bunched muscles under her palm were hot and hard. She stared at his mouth. He stared at hers. And she decided that if he wasn’t going to look at her breasts, looking at her mouth like he was starving and she was a grilled BLT—his favorite food in the world—was just fine with her.

Being compared, even in her own head, to a grilled BLT might not seem sexy, but in her mind, it so was. Caleb devoured those sandwiches. He’d do almost anything for one. He made sexy moaning sounds when he first tasted them. And he’d proclaimed that hers were the best he’d ever tasted. Yeah, put that way, along with the schnapps still coating her brain, it was strangely sexy.

“Caleb.”

She watched his pupils dilate and his jaw clench.

Her hand went to the front of his shirt and she bunched it in her fists, watching his eyes. He didn’t try to stop her. Then she tugged, urging him forward.

And he came, the hand next to her hip pressing into the mattress as she tipped her head to one side. Their lips touched. Softly. Briefly. But she felt it all the way to her bones. Heat, want, relief. She suddenly had to have more. She made a little almost-a-sob sound and licked her tongue along his lower lip.

“Lex.”

Her name was more of a groan than a word. It was the sexiest thing she’d ever heard.

“Caleb,”she breathed.

Then the next groan became the sexiest thing she’d ever heard. It was a combination of hunger and resignation, and she felt like he’d just set her nerve endings on fire.

Suddenly, Caleb’s hand came up to cup the back of her head, his fingers diving into her hair. And he took over.

His mouth opened over hers and his tongue stroked deep and hot. Every glide of his tongue felt as though he was running a finger over her clit. Some were firmer, some softer, some longer, some shorter, and her need ratcheted up with each one.

She ran her hands over his chest to his shoulders and up the sides of his neck, loving the hard muscles and the heat under her palms. Then she slid her hands down his sides to the bottom of his shirt. She slipped her hands underneath, moaning as she met hot, bare skin. He sucked in a quick breath and she smiled against his lips, loving having an effect on him.

And suddenly she was on her back and Caleb was moving over her. Her hands slid to his back, the muscles there bunching as he braced himself above her, still kissing her like it was his job. Instinctively, she slid her legs apart and he settled between them. The comforter was between them, but she felt him hard and hot and deliciously heavy against her. The feel of his cock pressed against her made her ache. She’d done that to him. She’d made him hard.

Hallelujah.

***

Start the Boys of the Big Easy series for FREE with Easy Going!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DjpzIz

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2AIXN5C

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/EasyGoingEN

Nook: http://bit.ly/2PwKpKj

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2PB9C63

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2yOqmNz

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

OH BOY!!! More HOT and Sexy Boys of the Big Easy!

NICE AND EASY (Boys of the Big Easy #3) by Erin Nicholas is another smokin’ hot contemporary romance which makes you want to travel down south and try to grab one of these boys for yourself. This series is based around a single parent group in NOLA and each book focuses on one of the parents becoming a HEA couple. The books can be read as standalones per couple, but the characters do help each other out and build on their relationships throughout each book as in real life.

Lexi Scott is one of the younger members of the single parent group. She has been living with her mom while attending nursing school and raising her baby son, Jack.

Lieutenant Caleb Moreau is used to being in complete control and in charge. He and his men save people from burning buildings. When his sister and brother-in-law are killed in a car accident, Caleb is suddenly the guardian of his little niece, Shay and joins the single parent group for support.

For two years Lexi and Caleb have found that their hectic schedules work for sharing the raising of their kids, but Lexi has always wanted more. Caleb knows Lexi wants him, but he is afraid that she wants him out of gratitude for all he does. When circumstances have Lexi and Jack moving in with Caleb and Shay, these two are going to find out that they do not know each other as well as they thought.

There is so much happening in this story. As in all of the other Boys of the Big Easy books, Lexi and Caleb have their chance at romance, but there is a little more going between with this couple. Lexi wants to be dominated in the bedroom. Role playing, spanking and submission are included in this romance. There are several serious scenes with Caleb trying to learn that he cannot always control everything and Shay’s long-term prognosis to deal with. This book is as hot and fun as it is serious and Erin Nichols balances it all to perfection!

This author just keeps giving me more great stories and characters. I am looking forward to many more books in this series.

***

About Erin Nicholas

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas has been writing romances almost as long as she’s been reading them. To date, she’s written over thirty sexy, contemporary novels that have been described as “toe-curling,” “enchanting,” “steamy,” and “fun.” She adores reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines, and happily ever afters.

Erin lives in the Midwest, where she enjoys spending time with her husband (who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books), her kids (who will never read the sex scenes in her books), and her family and friends (who claim to be “shocked” by the sex scenes in her books).

Connect with Erin

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2Ghek4N

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2BqNKSU

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2WSZxlR

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2GAUZeb

Website: https://erinnicholas.com

Stay up to date with Erin by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2Gj56oC

Feature Post and Book Review: My Kind of Forever by Tracy Brogan

Hi, everyone!

Today’s Feature Post and Book Review is for Tracy Brogan’s MY KIND OF FOREVER (Trillium Bay #2). This blog post includes a message from the author, an excerpt from the book, my book review, the author’s social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway.

I know you are going to love Brooke and all of the entertaining and quirky characters of Trillium Bay. Enjoy this addition to the series, which can easily be read as a standalone and good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!

***

Guest Post: The Risks (and Rewards) of Dating in A Small Town by Tracy Brogan

MY KIND OF FOREVER is the second book in the Trillium Bay series set on a small island in Northern Michigan, and tells the story of thirty-five year old Brooke Callaghan who has just been elected as the youngest, and first female, mayor the town has ever had. As the oldest of three sisters, Brooke is accustomed to taking charge and bossing others around, but the stodgy, long-time members of the decisively not-modern city council are determined to keep the status quo. In fact, the only one who seems to take Brooke seriously is Leo Walker, the new bartender whose reasons for being on the island are both short-term and known to him alone.

Despite a budding attraction to Leo, Brooke knows she needs to focus on mastering her new job, especially when rumors of a jewel thief hiding out on the island begin to circulate and the well-established rumor mills goes into overdrive. And speaking of rumors, Brooke is more than a little concerned with what the townspeople might say if they discover she and Leo are spending time alone. Coming from such a small community, in this case a village with a winter population of just six hundred people, people’s private lives rarely stay private, and modest, pragmatic Brooke doesn’t like the extra attention. Especially since a bad relationship from her past has left her overly cautious.

Although determined to prove to her neighbors and family she’s got what it takes to be a great mayor, with Leo’s encouragement, Brooke comes to realize she’s also entitled to address a few of the more personal aspects of her life, such as finding romance. But when things with Leo get rocky, she falls back into old patterns, believing that love is too elusive and not for women like her. Fortunately, the local community knows otherwise. They see the real Brooke, the one she thinks is hidden. They know her dedication and intelligence and worth, and they know she deserves to have it all. They know she deserves to have a forever kind of love. And so does Leo.

***

My Kind of Forever Excerpt

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Leo said after everyone else had left and I remained seated in the small meeting room holding my aching head in my hands. “But it sounds like you have your work cut out for you.”

Wow. Did I ever. I’d just spent the past two hours listening to so-called adults bickering about a litany of arbitrary topics. Should Polly’s Popcorn Shop be allowed to sell day-old products? Could the street sweepers add five minutes to their afternoon break? Who was going to play Santa during the Christmas Parade if Harry didn’t come back in time? And the biggest topic of the day? Did everyone see the awnings Tasty Pastries had put up, and who on earth had approved that?

“It’s like they couldn’t even hear me talking,” I said, looking up at him for a response, just to reassure myself that I was, in fact, speaking out loud.

He picked up an empty glass with one hand while wiping a ring of condensation off the table with a damp rag. “I’m not sure they could hear each other talking. Seemed like a lot of monologuing without any listening.”

“But I had an agenda.” I shook my paper at him, now covered in notes that I’d scribbled in the margins about all the other things I wanted to discuss. Things I would have discussed if I could have gotten a word in edgewise. The only one who didn’t interrupt me was my own father, but that’s because he didn’t say anything the entire time. Not unusual for him, but I had hoped to demonstrate a little more power over that cluster of clucking hens. “They were worse than teenagers. I have so many great ideas, but all they care about is the awnings.”

Leo wiped another spot off the table. “What ideas?” He gazed down at me, and I noted how dark blue his eyes were. Depths-of-the-ocean kind of blue. The kind of eyes that made every glance feel significant, even if it meant nothing at all. A flutter of something long-forgotten tickled inside my veins. Attraction. Followed by an immediate need to ignore it.

“Oh, all kinds of ideas.” I smiled tiredly and pushed myself up, because it was nearly five thirty and the Palomino Pub would start filling up with the evening crew pretty soon. “I’ll get out of the way now so you can have the room for dinner guests.”

“Speaking of dinner,” he said, “I’m new around here, so I was wondering, what restaurants do you like?”

“Oh, we have lots of great places to eat. All price ranges. The Windemere Grill is right down on the corner. There’s the Imperial Hotel dining room if you want something elegant. The Feast Well Bistro, Carmen’s Café, and Tate’s Tavern on the Bluff are good, too. At the tavern, you can watch the sun set behind Petoskey Bridge. It’s a great view. And for breakfast, I recommend Link & Patty’s Breakfast Buffet. The pink piggy décor is a little much, but the pancakes are the best.”

“Are you suggesting we have dinner and breakfast?” His dark eyebrow arched just as the corner of his mouth quirked in a ridiculously endearing fashion.

I pushed in my chair with an abrupt scrape. “Excuse me?”

“I was inviting you to dinner. You were inviting me to breakfast.”

That flutter of attraction multiplied even as my mouth fell open for a second. I’m sure it was a great look on me. “I wasn’t. And you weren’t. Were you?”

He laughed, and even though it might have been at my expense, the sound of it sent a flush over my skin and a tingle to places that hadn’t tingled for a very long time.

“I was inviting you to dinner, but not very well, apparently. I’ve been on the island a few days, but I don’t know anyone here, so would you like to have dinner with me?”

I was starving. And he was handsome. And new in town. And looked to be roughly my age. There was no history, no baggage, no reason to say no. But it had been so long since anyone had asked me out, it nearly felt improper. Everyone knew me around here. Everyone would know that we’d had dinner, and certainly everyone would have an opinion about it. And it’s not as if we could go someplace private because there was no place private on the entire island. And there was that issue of the flutter. I didn’t want to be fluttering. Fluttering led to heartbreak.

***

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

MY KIND OF FOREVER (Trillium Bay #2) by Tracy Brogan is a charming contemporary romance. This cozy romance has an adult romance with no explicit sex, an endearing and funny heroine, a handsome newcomer, a quirky island population and a side mystery to be solved. This is the second book in this series, but it can be easily read as a standalone.

Brooke Callaghan is the new mayor of Trillium Bay on Wenniway Island. She is the first female and the youngest person to ever hold that position. It is quite a change from her role as a school teacher on the island, but she is excited about the challenge. Between her new job as mayor and dealing with all the town’s characters and her own extended family, she does not want to be attracted to this new, handsome stranger. Brooke wants forever, not just a few weeks.

Leo Walker is a newcomer to the island and is hired as a bartender at the local pub. He is handsome, single and interested in Brooke. Leo says he is on the island for a break after the security company he worked for closed down and to write a book. There is definitely chemistry between Leo and Brooke, but he will not commit to staying on the island.

A strange private investigator shows up in Trillium Bay and claims there is jewel thief hiding on the island, but Brooke knows of no new islander except the new bartender. Rumors are all over town and everyone has a different tale to tell. What will Brooke do when she discovers long held secrets and the real reason Leo is on the island?

I loved Brooke and all of her family and friends. To have a friend that makes specialty pasties for dancers, a grandmother who wants to send the ashes of her exes up in fireworks and all the others island characters had me laughing several times throughout the story. This is a cozy romance with a mystery thrown in that surprised me with its resolution. I will definitely be looking for more to read from the entertaining Trillium Bay series.

***

About the Book

Title: My Kind of Forever

Author: Tracy Brogan

Release Date: January 22, 2019

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

As the youngest mayor Trillium Bay has ever elected, Brooke Callaghan wants to prove she’s up to the challenge. She’s stepping out of her practical teacher flats and into her sister’s treacherously high heels…with disastrous results. But if she’s going to (literally) stumble her first day on the job, why not fall into the arms of a handsome stranger?

Leo Walker is a rarity on Wenniway Island. Not only handsome, he’s also single, funny, and—most importantly—interested in Brooke. Unfortunately, his reasons for being on the island are temporary, so in spite of the undeniable chemistry between them, he’s not a forever kind of guy.

When a private investigator arrives with news of a jewel thief hiding on the island, Brooke finds herself dealing with one kerfuffle after another, and Leo proves to be a delicious distraction. What does she really know about him, though? And the biggest question of all? Does this short-term romance hold the possibility of long-term love?

***

Author Biography

Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Brogan is a three-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist for her Bell Harbor series. She writes fun, funny stories about ordinary people finding extraordinary love, and she lives in Michigan with her two brilliant daughters and their two intellectually challenged dogs. She loves to hear from readers, so check out her website at www.tracybrogan.com. You can also follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tracybroganwriter.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.tracybrogan.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTracyBrogan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tracybrogan

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6452601.Tracy_Brogan

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Feature Post: A Merciful Fate by Kendra Elliot

Hi, everyone!

Below is the Feature Post for Kendra Elliot’s current release A MERCIFUL FATE (Mercy Kilpatrick #5). Included is an excerpt from the book, a book summary with info and social media links for the author . You will also see a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card and a digital copy of the book.

As you know, I would normally include my Book Review with the Feature Post, but I am on book #4 and I just cannot read these books out of order. The suspense/mystery in each book can standalone, but I just cannot skip ahead in Mercy and Truman’s lives. I LOVE these two characters and just cannot miss a minute of their relationship. My books review will be posted soon for this book.

As always, good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway and you really have to get to know Mercy! Good reading!

***

Excerpt: A Merciful Fate by Kendra Elliot

“Sit.”

Mercy sat on a stool that was too high for the makeshift table. She didn’t care. They could sit on the ground and she’d be happy with Truman. Currently the home had plywood subfloors and open framing, but part of Mercy loved the empty, bare look; it promised that something fabulous was coming.

Fabulous and practical.

Truman leaned over and poured red wine in the plastic cup by her paper plate. She sighed and buried her nose in her cup. The fragrance was deep and bold, with hints of plum and smoke.

“Italy,” she mumbled into the wine.

“What?” asked Truman.

“I want to visit Italy. How does a honeymoon in Italy sound?”

A grin filled his face, and the sensation of butterflies fluttered up her spine.

Or maybe it’s the wine.

She took a sip of her wine as she studied his face. So familiar and dear to her.

A smile to stop traffic. Eyes that crinkled in happiness. Several scars that testified to his love of law enforcement. Her attraction to him was more than skin deep. She was in love with the person he was. He was a natural leader and easily commanded respect. His people turned to him, followed him, admired him. His natural sense of honor was a magnet for her.

No. It’s not the wine.

He gets me.

He understood how her mind worked, and they fit together like a couple of complicated puzzle pieces. She’d been painfully aware of her missing puzzle piece when he’d been taken away, chained by men planning to kill him, and then rescued thanks to Ollie. The two weeks when no one knew his fate had been the worst of her life. When he’d been returned to her, she’d known she couldn’t waste any more time.

He’d been of the same mind-set and had proposed.

“I’ll try Italy.” He dished spaghetti carbonara onto their plates.

“And what’s on your agenda for tomorrow?” he asked over the rim of his plastic cup. She perked up. “The bank confirmed the money bags are from the Gamble-Helmet Heist. And I have the go-ahead to visit Shane Gamble at the Two Rivers prison tomorrow.”

“What are your thoughts on the remains?” Truman asked. “Did the medical examiner get to them yet?”

“Yes. They spent the afternoon removing the remains, and Dr. Lockhart was going to start an examination tonight. The woman never takes time off.”

“Same could be said for you.”

“Only when I’m deep in a case.”

“I guess this means your weekends are booked for a while?”

Mercy sighed. “I know. The two of us are supposed to be working on the interior of this place … We’ll get it done at some point. It’ll have to wait awhile.”

A grin filled his face.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re not the same person I met last fall. Back then, if the cabin had been in the half-completed state it is now, you’d be climbing the walls with anxiety because your safety net wasn’t perfect.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “I had a similar thought earlier, but nearly all my supplies are still intact, so it’d be rough living but doable. I can temporarily live with that for now. Especially with this case to distract me.”

His lips twisted.

“Jealous?” she asked with a grin. “It’s an amazing case, isn’t it?”

“It is. Considering there have been no leads for decades, and the robbery is practically modern folklore. It’s like a buried treasure hunt, and Ollie found the first clue.”

“Is Ollie okay after his morning?” she asked with a small wince. She’d nearly forgotten the teen had made the grisly discovery.

“He’s okay. I spent some time with him and he was very quiet, but I could tell he was processing it. He’s dealt with death before.”

“He’s been through a lot,” sympathized Mercy.

They silently ate for a few moments until he glanced up and caught her staring at him. Longing shone in his eyes, an appetite and craving that had nothing to do with food, and she struggled to find her breath.

How does he do that to me?

“You know,” he said, his voice low and tempting, “this place hasn’t been christened yet.”

Mercy blinked. “People do that to homes?”

Patience filled his features. “That’s not what I meant.” His brown gaze held hers.

“Ohhh,” she breathed as heat flashed through her.

“Dessert.” His smile was sinful, and energy pulsed between them.

She melted. “Yes. Dessert.”

***

About the Book

Title: A Merciful Fate

Author: Kendra Elliot

Release Date: January 15, 2019

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

Raised by preppers, survivalist and FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick has a deep-rooted need for a safe place. Her getaway in the Cascade Foothills is her secret. But when skeletal remains are unearthed—those of a murdered man linked to a notorious heist—Mercy realizes she isn’t the only one with something to hide.

Thirty years ago, an armored-car robbery turned deadly. The mastermind was captured. Four conspirators vanished with a fortune. One of them, it appears, never made it out of the woods alive. For Mercy and her fiancé, Police Chief Truman Daly, their investigation opens old wounds in Eagle’s Nest that cut deeper than they imagined. Especially when a reckless tabloid reporter draws fresh blood. It’s clear to Mercy that somebody in this close-knit community is not who they seem to be.

Some are still shattered by the heist. Some still have reason to be afraid. But which one will kill again and again to hide three decades of secrets? To land this case, it’s up to Mercy to unmask a familiar stranger before someone else dies.

***

Author Biography

Kendra Elliot has landed on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list multiple times and is the award-winning author of the Bone Secrets and Callahan & McLane series, as well as the Mercy Kilpatrick novels: A Merciful Death, A Merciful Truth, and A Merciful Secret. Kendra is a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award, an International Thriller Writers finalist, and an RT Award finalist. She has always been a voracious reader, cutting her teeth on classic female heroines such as Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Laura Ingalls. She was born, raised, and still lives in the rainy Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters, but she looks forward to the day she can live in flip-flops. Visit her at www.kendraelliot.com.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.kendraelliot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKendraElliot

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KendraElliot

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6150778.Kendra_Elliot

***

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