MR. RIGHT NEXT DOOR (Rose Bend Book #4) by Naima Simone is an emotional contemporary romance that takes the “mean girl” of the series and turns everything you believe about her upside down while matching her with a broken hero who has come home to Rose Bend to heal with family. This is a smalltown romance series, and while these stories are more enjoyable when read in order, they can be read as standalone stories.
Jenna Landon is cold and sharp. If you get too close, you will receive a verbal blow that is meant to cause pain. She does not let people see the hurt and “never enough” woman her parents continue to reminder her that she is to them. She is finally ready to flee Rose Bend after one more fundraiser for her father’s reelection campaign.
Retired pro wrestler Mr. Right is Isaac Hunter, and he has returned to Rose Bend to be close to his family after a much-publicized divorce. He accepts the position of assistant wrestling coach at the high school while he decides what he wants to do with the rest of his life. While working on his truck and blaring country music on an early Saturday morning, his next-door neighbor comes over to complain. While Isaac discovers that the prissy Jenna Landon is fun to mess with, he also discovers there is more to her than others around town have seen.
Isaac has enough problems of his own and his next-door neighbor spells nothing but trouble, but as their attraction builds, so does his need to prove to Jenna that she is more than enough for him.
WOW! I never thought this redemption story could be possible. Ms. Simone completely turned my feelings around for Jenna and made me fall for another new man in Rose Bend. When an author can make you cry for the “mean girl”, you know you have found a gem. Jenna and Isaac are characters that could walk right off the page, they are written so realistically. The slow burn and snarky dialogue are perfect for these characters and this romance. The sex scene is not until almost the end of the story, and it is explicit, but it is not gratuitous just perfect. It is always fun to catch up with characters from the other books in the series and it is especially heartwarming to watch Jenna make amends and reunite with her two best girl friends in town.
I highly recommend this contemporary romance and look forward to returning to Rose Bend again and again.
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About the Author
Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”
She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Mini Book Reviews for the first four stories in Naima Simone’s Rose Bend series. I have been binge reading all of these fantastic romances and I am happy to still have four more to go.
These romances are multicultural, have characters that break your heart before healing them with their HEAs, and do have some very smokin’ hot sex scenes but they are not gratuitous. This series is set in the small town of Rose Bend which is located in the Berkshires and I really hope there is a place just like it in the real world.
Each book numbered with a 0.5 is novella length and features new side characters from the town and all of the whole number books feature a brother or sister from the Dennison family who you follow throughout the series.
I highly recommend this romance series and I am so glad I found this author because when I am done with this series, she has written more.
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Book Description
Goodbye is never easy…but neither is love.
Cherrie Moore is just passing through, the same way she does every year. Rose Bend’s annual motorcycle rally has been her sanctuary—two solid weeks just for herself, just for a little while; one long, peaceful ride through the Berkshires, then back home to bustling Chicago. In and out, and gone again. No strings, no commitments. Until she meets Maddox Holt.
The man is pure temptation, and he sure has a mouth on him—a redheaded bullet Cherrie knows she’d be smart to dodge. When the mysterious dive bar owner pulls her onto the dance floor that first night in town, her plans for a clean getaway turn muddy. Something’s there between them, sure…but Maddox has roots in quiet Rose Bend, and he’s looking for more than a fling.
Cherrie came here for a break from it all. After the year she’s had, her heart can’t take another hit. But before long, she’ll have to decide—should she risk her freedom for a second chance at love…or just enjoy the ride while it lasts?
My Mini Book Review
SLOW DANCE AT ROSE BEND (A Rose Bend Book #0.5) by Naima Simone is an intense novella length contemporary romance featuring independent jewelry maker Cherrie Moore and Rose Bend bar owner Maddox Holt. This love at first sight novella is packed with more emotion than some full-length books.
Cherrie is once again in Rose Bend for two weeks to attend the annual motorcycle rally, to sell some of her jewelry, and catch up with old friends. When the hot bartender hits on Cherrie, she is at first not interested after just getting out of a difficult relationship, but the sparks are flying around her and Maddox. She agrees to two weeks of fun, but Maddox has other plans.
Explosive chemistry, hot sex, and finding the person who loves you for who you are. Yes, please!
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Book Description
If it was only about her, she might never have come back to Rose Bend.
But it’s not only about her anymore.
Sydney Collins left the small Berkshires town of Rose Bend eight years ago, grieving her sister’s death—and heartbroken over her parents’ rejection. But now the rebel is back—newly divorced and pregnant—ready to face her fears and make a home for her child in the caring community she once knew. The last thing she needs is trouble. But trouble just set her body on fire with one hot, hot smile.
Widower and Rose Bend mayor Coltrane Dennison hasn’t smiled in ages. Until a chance run-in with Sydney Collins, who’s all grown-up and making him want what he knows he can’t have. Grief is his only connection to the wife and son he lost, and he won’t give it up. Not for Sydney, not for her child, not for his heart. But when Sydney’s ex threatens to upend everything she’s rebuilt in Rose Bend, Cole and Sydney may find that a little trouble will take them where they never expected to go.
My Mini Book Review
THE ROAD TO ROSE BEND (A Rose Bend Book #1) by Naima Simone is an emotional contemporary romance that features the return of rebel Sydney Collins to her small hometown in the Berkshires and the widowed mayor of Rose Bend Coltrane “Cole” Dennison. This story brought me to tears in so many scenes and yet it is balanced with happiness and love throughout with an extremely satisfying HEA.
Besides the main romance plot, Sydney is dealing with being pregnant by her ex-husband after their divorce and unresolved issues which lead to her rebellion all through her teen years with her parents after her sister died from cancer when she was younger. Cole is a widower of only two years and besides losing his young wife, he also lost his son. Even with all this angst, Ms. Simone is still able to find moments of joy and love between these two because they really have empathy for each other’s pasts and present problems. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous.
The entire Denison family is introduced in this book, and they are fully drawn and realistic. I am looking forward to following them in future books in this series.
I love Sydney and Cole, the entire Dennison family, and the small town of Rose Bend. I highly recommend this contemporary romance!
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Book Description
It starts with an unexpected kiss…
Remi Donovan doesn’t know what possessed Declan Howard to sidle up to her desk and ask for a kiss—but she’s not about to turn him down. After all, she’s had a secret crush on the sexy-as-sin wealth manager ever since he set foot in Rose Bend two years ago. Still, why steal a kiss from a small-town librarian when a man like Declan could have any woman he wants?
For Declan, the plan is simple: fake a relationship with Remi to keep his ex off his back and his matchmaking mother happy. As the charade brings them closer, it ignites something real—something neither can ignore. But before they can build a happy future together, they’ll both have to reconcile with the past…
My Mini Book Review
A KISS TO REMEMBER (A Rose Bend Book #1.5) by Naima Simone is a fake relationship contemporary romance novella in the Rose Bend series featuring small town librarian Remi Donovan and wealth manager Declan Howard. What starts with an unexpected offer of a kiss in the library then turns into a declaration of a relationship to family and friends which leads to an emotional journey for both Remi and Declan. Ms. Simone is able to pack so much emotion in such a short novella.
I especially loved and had empathy for Remi in this story. She has learned to love herself and her plus size even with the negativity from some people in town including her own mother. Declan may have started out just trying to make life easier for himself, but he truly appreciates the full bodied and intelligent Remi. I enjoyed their fake to real relationship and their journey to get there.
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Book Description
The holidays have never been her thing. But Christmas in Rose Bend has more than one surprise in store…
Grieving ER nurse Nessa Hunt is on a road trip with her sullen teen half sister, Ivy, and still reeling from her mother’s deathbed confession: Nessa’s dad wasn’t really her dad. Seeking answers, they arrive in Rose Bend to find a small town teeming with the kind of Christmas cheer Nessa usually avoids. But then she meets the innkeeper’s ruggedly sexy son, Wolfgang Dennison.
Wolf’s big, boisterous family is like a picture-perfect holiday card. Nessa has too much weighing on her to feel like she fits—even though the heat between her and Wolf is undeniable. And the merriment bringing an overdue smile to Ivy’s face is almost enough to make Nessa believe in the Christmas spirit. But with all her parental baggage, including lingering questions about her birth father, is there room in Nessa’s life for happy holidays and happily-ever-after?
My Mini Book Review
CHRISTMAS IN ROSE BEND (A Rose Bend Book #2) by Naima Simone is a an emotional holiday contemporary romance featuring ER nurse Nessa Hunt who is visiting Rose Bend with her stepsister and staying at the Dennison’s Family Inn. She is literally knocked off her feet by carpenter Wolfgang ‘Wolf’ Dennison as they wait to check in. The attraction is immediate, but Nessa has been hurt so often by men in her past, she no longer lets anyone completely into her heart.
Nessa no longer celebrates Christmas, but here she is in small town Christmas hell. Both Nessa and Wolf’s histories are heartbreaking and yet Wolf is determined to help Nessa bridge the rift with her stepsister and get her to enjoy the Christmas season again. The realistic dialogue between these two was either making me laugh or cry. Even with their fears, they could not stop their intense physical attraction to each other which led to sex scenes that are explicit, but not gratuitous. The road to the HEA in this romance is rough, but very satisfying.
This romance is full of angst, love, laughter, family, small town life and Christmas cheer. This series can be read as standalone romances, but they are so well written that they pull you in and you will fall in love with the Dennison family and Rose Bend and want to read them all, just like me.
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About the Author
Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”
She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book on the DREAMER Harlequin Series Winter Blog Tour for CHRISTMAS AT THE CHATEAU (Bainbridge House Book #2) by Rochelle Alers.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and the author’s social media link. Enjoy!
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Book Description
CHRISTMAS AT THE CHATEAU by Rochelle Alers (on-sale Nov.30, Harlequin Special Edition): The halls are decked for holiday romance in nationally bestselling author Rochelle Alers’s latest book in the Bainbridge House series! Christmas dinner’s on the table, and it’s being served with a side of romance! Executive chef Viola Williamson has to have the kitchen up and running by the time the Bainbridge House restoration is complete. Working closely with Dom Shaw, Viola is struck by her hotter-than-mulled-cider attraction to her family estate’s handsome caretaker. It’s obvious that he feels it, too—yet Dom keeps his distance. Can Viola convince him that with all this cooking going on, he’s the only one stirring her heart?
CHRISTMAS AT THE CHATEAU (Bainbridge House Book #2) by Rochelle Alers is a holiday contemporary multicultural romance and the second book in the Bainbridge House series. It can be read as a standalone, but there is crossover with the H/h from book one who are this book’s heroine’s brother and best friend.
Viola Williamson has worked hard for years to earn her title as chef. When she is passed over for promotion one too many times at her current Michelin star restaurant, she decides to accept the position as Executive chef for the family’s Bainbridge House when it is fully restored and running. She is excited about being her best friend’s maid of honor for her Christmas wedding and being the head chef for their reception.
Dominic “Dom” Shaw has worked as the caretaker for Bainbridge House since his father’s retirement. Dom has been burned in love before, but he cannot seem to keep away from the new Executive chef.
Neither is looking for love, but the attraction grows as they work together to get the kitchen up and running for the wedding and Dom has a secret that could change everything.
I did enjoy this story with the descriptions of the renovations of Bainbridge House, the amazing descriptions of food throughout the story and the backstories of both Dom and Viola’s families. While I enjoyed these descriptions, the romance was slow to start and did not really pick up or become the focus of the book until halfway through. That said, I did feel it progressed and grew at a realistic pace since both were romance adverse. There is just one short sex scene and it is not explicit. The twist before the ending with Viola’s mother was a surprise because I was expecting Dom’s secret to be the final twist.
I am looking forward to the other brother’s romance stories to come.
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Excerpt
Dom turned his head, successfully hiding the smile struggling to emerge. He didn’t know why, but he hadn’t expected to overhear the ribald curse that had flowed so effortlessly from Viola. “That’s good to know because that would definitely negate us becoming friends.”
Viola narrowed her eyes, reminding him of a cat ready to attack. “Do you always test your friends?”
“Most times I do.”
“Why, Dom?”
“Because I have trust issues.” The admission had come out unbidden. But if he were completely forthcoming with Viola, then he would’ve said his distrust was with women. It didn’t matter whether they were platonic or intimate, he’d made it a practice to keep their relationships at a distance.
“Bad breakup with a girlfriend?”
“No,” he said truthfully. “It was a marriage that ended with irreconcilable differences.”
She blinked slowly. “Well, you’re not the only one with trust issues. And mine are not with an ex-husband but with the men I’ve dated. They say one thing and do something entirely different.”
This time Dom did smile. She’d just given him the opening he’d needed to discover more about her. “Are you saying you’re not currently involved with anyone?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. I’m not involved and don’t want to become involved. Right now, my sole focus is getting these kitchens renovated so that I can be ready once the hotel opens for business.”
It appeared as if they were on the same page when it came to relationships. Neither wanted one. And for him, it would make her presence on the property a win-win. Although he’d found Viola attractive, just knowing she didn’t want anything more than friendship would make it easy for Dom to relate to her as a friend.
“Do you have an idea as to what you want to offer your guests?” he asked, deftly changing the topic of conversation.
“That all depends on the clientele. If it’s a wedding, then that would be at the discretion of the bride and groom. However, for guests coming for a business conference, the food would be different from what would be served at a wedding reception. Then there are folks that may just want to stop by to hang out at the lounge for drinks and to watch sports. For them, I would have a special bar menu.”
“It sounds as if you have everything planned out in advance.”
Viola flashed a dreamy smile. “I would have to. I can’t afford to wait until we’re ready to open for business to begin creating menus without taste testing every item beforehand.”
Dom grinned from ear to ear. “I wouldn’t mind becoming one of your taste testers.”
She laughed. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”
Dom sobered. “When do you intend to come back here again?”
Viola also sobered. “Why?”
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About the Author
Hailed by readers and booksellers alike as one of today’s most popular African-American authors of women’s fiction, Ms. Alers is a regular on bestsellers list, and has been a recipient of numerous awards, including the Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing and a Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for IT TAKES HEART (Heart Resort Book #1) by Tif Marcelo on this Montlake/Amazon Publishing Blog Tour.
Below you will find a note from the author, a book summary, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section, the author’s social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy and good luck on the giveaway!
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A Note from the Author
It was at the Romance Writers of America conference in 2019 when I came up with the idea for the Heart Resort series. Though I was under contract for a third contemporary fiction book (which would become my sixth novel), my first three books were romance novels, and an escapist series tugged at my shirt sleeves. My initial idea: interconnected destination romance novels with the setting as relaxing and lush as it could be, despite the romantic angst and family drama I knew my characters would be placed in.
Then came COVID-19. I had released my second contemporary fiction, ONCE UPON A SUNSET, and was in edits for IN A BOOK CLUB FAR AWAY, and I was no longer under contract for future books. My need to escape heightened during the fear of lockdown. So, I dove headlong into the proposal of the Heart Resort series. At first, I thought of setting this book on an island in the Pacific Ocean but I could not make myself write it knowing that the borders were closed to travel due to the virus. Though I tried not to put COVID into my novels, still I needed to be realistic for the times.
Then the location dawned on me: our family’s most favorite vacation spot: the Outer Banks, or OBX. And especially south of 12: Nags Head, Rodanthe, Hatteras. On a printed map, I drew what would be the Heart Resort peninsula, connected to highway 12 via a land bridge.
Heart Resort is serendipitously heart-shaped. In the epicenter is the headquarters and the apartments of the four Puso siblings. Puso, which means “heart” in Tagalog—of course it does! Chris, Gil, Bea, and Brandon, the four Puso siblings, live and work on this resort. They are the heart, they make the resort and peninsula “go.” Though, we come to find out that they each have their own secrets and matters of the heart to contend with.
Everything on this peninsula is specific and special. Each home is named. Every employee is family. The view from every window is spectacular. And though they promise their clients their own version of the HEA, or the happily ever after, the Puso siblings clamor for theirs.
IT TAKES HEART, the first in the series, introduces Brandon Puso and Geneva Harris, former lovers reunited in their common mission to help rebuild the resort after a tropical storm. Neither knew the other was going to be there, and their first instinct is to run. But both are loyal to a fault, and soon they find themselves growing closer despite their best intentions. Surrounding them are a cast of characters, all with their stories to tell, all while trying make the resort successful despite throes of competition with another resort.
Love, loyalty, and business all in one peninsula located at one of the most gorgeous locations in the United States. Heart Resort is truly a place to read about to get your heart pumping.
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BookSummary
Heart Resort, a private resort in the Outer Banks, is a romantic getaway for couples but a hotbed of family drama for its proprietors, the Puso family. Brandon Puso, the youngest of the four siblings, prefers life on his own as a licensed contractor in DC after a falling-out with his eldest brother.
After a hurricane plows through the Outer Banks, Brandon has a change of heart. He returns to the resort to help with the grand reopening but encounters his big sister’s best friend, designer Geneva Harris, who’s there to do the same thing. But Geneva and Brandon have a secret. Years ago, they had a secret romance that ended in heartbreak.
With the resort’s future at stake, Brandon and Geneva decide to put the past aside and to keep peace with the family. But as their mutual attraction heats up, they have to decide if history will repeat itself—or if this time, love gets a second chance.
IT TAKES HEART (Heart Resort Book #1) by Tif Marcelo is a second chance contemporary romance and the first book in a new series featuring a Filipino-American family of three brothers and one sister who own and run the Heart Resort in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Brandon Puso is the youngest of the Puso clan and a licensed general contractor in business with his friend from college. Since a falling out with his oldest brother, Brandon has been living in the home of his deceased parents in Annapolis. But after a hurricane rips through the Outer Banks, Brandon returns to Heart Resort to help his siblings get it repaired and set up for a grand re-opening.
Interior designer Geneva Harris is Brandon’s sister best friend and has always been around the Puso family. Geneva is at the resort to help with the interior design and a rest from her hectic schedule. Geneva does not know Brandon will be at the resort and none of the siblings know that Geneva and Brandon had a secret romance that ended in heartbreak.
Brandon and Geneva agree to work together as friends, but their mutual attraction continually heats up. They have a short time to work together and to decide if they will once again go their separate ways or if this time, they will get a second chance at love.
This is a romance that was so enjoyable to read. The family gives you not only the usual sibling dynamics, drama, angst, love and understanding, but also an interesting infusion of Filipino culture and food. Brandon is doing well professionally but dealing with so much emotionally. Geneva is also doing great professionally but she never settles anywhere and lives out of her bags. Both run from their emotions and emotional situations and Ms. Marcelo does a good job of having each work through their baggage with the help of family and/or having frank conversations between themselves. There are short sex scenes that are neither explicit nor graphic. I am definitely looking forward to reading the other siblings‘ stories in this Heart Resort series as well.
I recommend this heartfelt second chance contemporary romance!
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Excerpt
Brandon tripped over his own feet as his sister leapt from her chair.
“Now it’s my turn to surprise you.” Beatrice wrapped her hands around his bicep and pulled him toward the round table. She was laughing, enthused.
But Brandon, simultaneously exhausted from a fitful sleep and amped from laborious work that morning, could not grapple with what was before him. He was seeing a ghost. Or, rather, he was seeing the living, breathing apparition of the woman who had all but ghosted him.
He shut his eyes for a beat to clear his vision, but when he opened them and refocused, she was still there.
“Geneva,” he breathed out.
The Geneva Harris he’d fallen for four years ago after a stunning three weeks together. The same Geneva Harris who, after an argument, had left him to wake alone the next morning with her side of the bed all tucked back into place as if she’d never been there. Like she had been a vivid dream.
The memory yanked Brandon’s heart out of his chest, leaving a cavernous space. He’d had a myriad of feelings over the years after their breakup: loss, anger, sadness. Now, all he felt was nothing—was this shock? No, shock was the brick wall he couldn’t get around when his parents died. This felt like . . . emptiness.
He was dumbfounded even as he got close enough to reacquaint himself with the details of her face: her high cheekbones, which even without makeup carried a muted shade of pink; the one tiny mole next to her nose; and what he now knew was a forced smile because it was this exact same smile she had placated him with the night before she had taken off.
“Hi,” Geneva said.
Beatrice dragged him down to sit in the chair across from Geneva, then took the third seat at the table. “You remember Geneva, right?”
The cue threw him off his running thoughts. Time had passed. They were not in Las Vegas, but in Heart Resort. His family didn’t know about them. “Oh, yeah. Hey. Sorry, I’m just a little . . .” He stuck a hand out.
What looked like relief played across Geneva’s features. She shook his hand. “It’s okay. It’s the ocean air. Nice to see you again.”
Was it nice to see him? Had she hoped to see him? Did she know he’d be here?
“How long has it been for the both of you? Since we left for school?” Beatrice asked.
Four years, actually.
“Four years.” Geneva echoed his thoughts, eyes leaving his sister’s face, then down to her drink. “Chris and Eden’s wedding.”
“How could I forget.” Beatrice bumped her forehead with a palm. “I take that back. Of course I forgot—I planned that event and was probably stressed to high heavens. Now that was a whirlwind.” Then, to Brandon, in a change of subject only Beatrice could manage, gestured to their surroundings. “Did you want me to order? I assume that you’re here for lunch. Chef Castillo pivoted to feed us even if our restaurant’s closed. Oh, just as an FYI, our new Friday dinners are now at Chef Castillo’s and her sister’s eatery, south on 12.”
That took his attention for a beat. “A Filipino restaurant, down here?”
“Yep. So keep your Friday night free, both of you. It’s required.” She grinned. “So, what’s your poison.”
“Actually, I’m good.” Whatever appetite he’d had disappeared. “I spotted your golf cart and thought I would stop to say hi before my first meeting with the team.”
“Perfect timing! I was telling Geneva about your demo sesh this morning. You might have been exactly where Geneva’s was. She’s in Ligaya.”
Brandon had found it clever that the family had decided to assign a Tagalog word for each of the cabins, the yoga studio, and restaurant. It had been Gil’s idea, though taken right out their parents’ playbook of hammering their wooden sign at every residence.
“Ah . . . I was definitely next door, at Habang-buhay.” Brandon snorted at the irony, that he’d demoed a beach house that was named forever, and all that morning, she had been just beyond his reach in a cabin whose name meant joy.
She had been his joy, once.
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About the Author
Tif Marcelo is a veteran US Army nurse who holds a BS in nursing and a master’s in public administration. She believes in and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, and the beauty of heartfelt romance—and she’s inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts the Stories to Love podcast, and she is also the USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away, Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, and the Journey to the Heart series. Sign up for her newsletter at www.TifMarcelo.com.
Today is my turn to share my Feature Post and Book Review on the blog tour for THE MARRIAGE CODE by Brooke Burroughs. This is an enchanting debut enemies to lovers multi-cultural romance set in India.
Below you will find an author Q&A, a book summary, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Good luck on the giveaway and enjoy!
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AuthorQ&A
The Marriage Code is your debut novel. Can you tell us about your publishing journey?
In a word, long! I’m always envious reading about writers who wrote their first book, got an agent, and published in like, the span of six months. Mine was definitely longer as this book was first written as a memoir, then I fictionalized the story which took a few years. The big moment was when Melissa Marino selected my manuscript for Pitchwars, and that led me to find my agent.
As tech experts both your hero and heroine tend to be data driven which leads to the creation of ‘the marriage code’. What is the code and how did it come about?
The marriage code is a customized search for the perfect woman that Emma develops for her coworker Rishi. It only finds women who match his exact specifications (well, his and his family’s). I like to think of it as Match.com (or shaadi.com in India) on steroids.
This is definitely not a love at first sight story! In fact, Rishi and Emma have quite a difficult time getting along at first. Can you describe their first meeting and how this sets the scene for their relationship?
Emma is in a super rough spot. Her carefully constructed world is collapsing because her boyfriend has publicly proposed to her, she wasn’t ready, and he in turn blames her for turning him down. So the next day she goes into work, clinging to the fact that at least she has her job, and this project she’s put all her blood, sweat, and tears into. But then Rishi, a stranger, tells her that this project is no longer hers. For a woman who likes patterns and predictability, well…she loses it. Now Emma is faced with the threat of no job, no boyfriend, no homey apartment—until she convinces her manager to give the project to her, not knowing Rishi is slated to manage it, and that it’s his salvation from the pressures of his family. They still need to work together…closely. And that sets the two of them off on a journey they never expected.
Rivals to friends to confidants … to something much, much more. What do you consider the turning point in their story?
I think the big pivot for Emma and Rishi is when she finally lets her guard down and tells him about her past when they’re in Kerala. Emma is really private and feels like she’s always had to protect her vulnerability to be successful, and I think for a lot of women in tech that can be true (well, probably true for a lot of women in many jobs). That opening up leads to the much, much more!
Emma is from the Northwest and Rishi from the south–southern India that is. There are some serious cultural differences between these two. What are some of the biggest roadblocks they face in their relationship?
Emma’s biggest roadblock is trying to protect herself. She’s carefully constructed this world she lives in to be compartmentalized, practical, and to suit the life she thinks she needs to rely on. Even though Rishi’s not out to get her professionally, she’s been taken advantage of before by male coworkers and she doesn’t want to let it happen again. For Rishi, the pressure to get married to a woman who will fit into the culture of his family is the biggest roadblock. His family depends on him, and their reference point for someone marrying outside their culture has caused so much heartache, it’s hard to get past that.
As much as they are different, Rishi and Emma have a lot in common — including their careers and their drive to succeed. What are some other similarities that you found when writing your hero and heroine?
Food is something that very much brings these two together. For Emma, growing up poor and with her grandmother, who had to work multiple jobs to support her, throughout her childhood she basically survived on canned food and hotdogs. So now that she’s out on her own, she relishes in amazing cuisine wherever she can get it. For Rishi, he is super passionate about the different varieties of Indian food, but his favorite is still what his mom cooks. He often serves as her culinary guide around Bangalore, and Emma helps him open his eyes to the food he’s been eating his entire life. That balance brings them together often, and how they are able to become friends—and more!
This is a very personal story to you—like Emma, you moved to India and had to adapt to your new environment. What are some customs that you liked the best? Which ones were more challenging for you?
When I first moved to India, and especially when interacting with my (now) husband’s family I was constantly trying to make sure I wasn’t offending anyone. In the US, we have one main gesture that is super offensive and it’s easy NOT to use it. In India, what you do with your hands and feet can be offensive, and so it’s more nuanced; there is a lot of using your right hand vs your left hand, not putting your feet towards someone, knowing when to take off your shoes, and that takes some constant reminding and getting used to. Oh, and eating with your hands. In the book, Emma feels like she looks like a toddler eating, and yeah, so do I!
My favorite customs are mostly around how in general, I think Indians cherish their traditions. Despite all the Western influence, it feels like people still care a lot about continuing to practice traditions of their family, religion, and heritage. Whether it’s the clothes people wear, the multitude of holidays, or the weddings chock full of ritual and customs, I think it’s amazing to take the time and intention to continue practicing those. I also really appreciate their reverence for elders. There is a lot of respect given to the wisdom and experience of older people in the culture that feels very different then how we often treat our elders in the US, for example.
Both you and your characters are very adventurous. What advice would you give to someone who is trying to make big decisions for their future?
If you want to try something that feels like it will challenge you (even if it’s scary!) do it! If you make a mistake you can always come back from it. Most of my regrets in life are because I didn’t do something, and it’s hard to recapture and relive those moments. I don’t have regrets on trying to do something new, like moving to another country or going on a safari in an open jeep with a lion five feet away (both scary and amazing). But I have regretted that trip I didn’t take, or words I didn’t say to someone. I think that’s one of my biggest life lessons.
Why is The Marriage Code the perfect book to introduce you to readers?
The Marriage Code is very personal to me because I wanted to write a book that echoed some of the experiences I had moving to India and meeting my husband. So if there is any kind of introduction to my writing and me, this is definitely a good one!
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BookSummary
Emma has always lived her life according to a plan. But after turning down her boyfriend’s proposal, everything starts to crumble. In an effort to save the one thing she cares about—her job—she must recruit her colleague, Rishi, to be on her development team…only she may or may not have received the position he was promised. (She did.)
Rishi cannot believe that he got passed over for promotion. To make matters worse, not only does his job require him to return home to Bangalore with his nemesis, Emma, but his parents now expect him to choose a bride and get married. So, when Emma makes him an offer—join her team, and she’ll write an algorithm to find him the perfect bride—he reluctantly accepts.
Neither of them expect her marriage code to work so well—or to fall for one another—which leads Emma and Rishi to wonder if leaving fate up to formulas is really an equation for lasting love.
THE MARRIAGE CODE by Brooke Burroughs is an enchanting debut enemies-to-lovers multi-cultural romance set in India. This story is written around a romance trope, but it is so much more with the culture, food and traditions of India blended throughout.
Rishi is sent to his IT company’s Seattle headquarters with the belief he will be heading up a new project. He plans on sending the extra pay home to help with his sister’s wedding and while living in the U.S., the pressure is off him to marry first. Then he finds out, he has been passed over and has to return to India and work with the woman who stole his project position and his family is now putting extra pressure on him to find a wife.
Emma discovers her division in headquarters will be closing down and she jumps at the chance to head up a new project even though she will have to relocate to India. She is named the project head, but has no idea the position was promised to Rishi and now she has to get his professional help on her team for the project to succeed.
Emma proposes a deal. If Rishi will join her team and help her succeed, she will write an algorithm for him to find him the perfect wife. Neither are prepared for the marriage code to be so successful even as they fall for each other.
I enjoyed this debut romance. Rishi and Emma are wonderful main characters that have past hurts and present pressures constantly working against them to overcome for their HEA. All the secondary characters are fully fleshed and add extra depth to the multi-cultural story. Ms. Burroughs is talented at making the reader understand the cultural differences, smell and taste the Indian food and not get bogged down in technical IT descriptions all while intertwining the growing romance throughout.
I can highly recommend this debut multi-cultural romance.
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Excerpt
Two cups of coffee. His laptop bag hung on one shoulder, threatening to slip off. His sunglasses fell from his head and teetered on the end of his nose as he approached the room. He tried to use his hip to push the handle down and splashed coffee on his jeans. He looked through the glass door. Emma was sitting there, laughing at him.
“Help, please,” he said, a thread of irritation in his voice, through the practically soundproof glass.
She made a big production of sighing and taking off her headphones and rolling her chair back inch by inch, the wheels moving as slowly as bad bandwidth. Yet the whole time, she was still smiling with complete amusement.
She pulled open the door, her arm sliding up the edge and blocking his entrance to the room with her body. “Can I help you? I mean, you look like you need help.”
“Uh, yeah. I got you a coffee. Apparently the last time I’ll do that. Take it.” He thrust it toward her. Now he could slide his sunglasses back on top of his head and save his suffering forearm from his laptop bag, which he was carrying like an old woman with an oversize purse.
“Oh, why, thank you.” Her eyes lit up in surprise as she tasted the coffee, just a sip, and looked up at him through her eyelashes. He tried not to notice how cute she looked, her nose hidden inside the cup, inhaling the coffee. But puppy cute. Like a tiny stray he’d found outside his house who needed help.
Rishi shook his head and glanced up at the projected screen. Now it was his turn to laugh. It reminded him of when his professor had once said, “Done code is better than perfect code.” This was definitely just done.
“Wait, are these the bugs you’re trying to address? What is this code?”
“Look, I’m not an app developer, but I’ve been reading up.” She unplugged her monitor, like she could hide the evidence. “I told you I needed help.”
“I’ll fix the bugs in the log. I think you should leave that to us app devs, honestly. You might break something.”
“Oh? Well, hopefully I didn’t break your marriage code.”
Sometimes she really exasperated him. “Emma, you can’t be perfect in every aspect.”
She tilted her head and pursed her lips, doing that puppy thing again. Or maybe like her part-android brain couldn’t process what he’d said.
He didn’t mean perfect in every aspect, of course. He shook his head. What was wrong with him? “I just meant you’re not an app developer. You’re good at web crawls, right? Desktop development? That’s more than most people can say.”
She straightened up and typed on her laptop. “Well, I guess you’ll be the judge of that. Should I put the candidates for the future Mrs. Iyengar on the big screen?” She looked at him before plugging in the HDMI cable.
He looked at the hall, still empty. Still way too early for anyone to be in here. “Sure. I’m ready for the big unveiling.” He took a deep breath and crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat. Was he ready? What if it hadn’t worked? Or what if he felt insta-love just by looking at the screen? Should he pray or something before she showed him what the results had come up with? He’d practically promised his mom he would take care of it. That he could find “the one.” And after his conversation with Sudhar, one of these women had to work.
Rishi’s feet tapped on the floor. Why was a sudden cocktail of impatience, dread, and curiosity swirling in his stomach? A perfect match could be presented to him in a few short seconds. Because if he knew anything about Emma Delaney, it was that she strove for perfection.
And control.
And with passion.
If they really went on an Indian tour together, outside the confines of Bangalore’s best eateries, what would it be like? He’d have to show her the best things about the country he called home. Let her taste the coconut-seeped curries of Kerala. Visit a roadside dhaba in Punjab where the paneer melted on your tongue. Show her the famous Madurai temples in his hometown, but also his favorite Ganesh temple, the tiny one near his apartment.
She’d have to see the flower vendors at Gandhi Bazaar, with their overflowing baskets of marigolds and roses, and eat chaat from his favorite cart in Vijayanagar. She’d take his India, place it in her mouth, and suck the joy of his country like a mango seed.
And end the tour by seeing what other flavors they could search out in the curves of each other’s skin.
What the hell was wrong with him? That couldn’t happen. Obviously, it couldn’t. And yet the thought snaked through him, a depraved viper swallowing his brain whole. He slumped over on the table, his elbow on the cold metal, his palm catching his forehead.
“Are you okay?” Emma had pulled her laptop up and slid it over toward him.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Just forgot something.” Like my mind.
“Here you go.”
Rishi took a deep breath.
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Author Biography
Brooke Burroughs has worked in the IT industry for over ten years and lived in India—where she met her husband—for three. Burroughs has experience navigating the feeling of being an outsider in a traditional, orthodox family. Luckily, she and her in-laws get along well now, but maybe it’s because she agreed to a small South Indian wedding (with almost a thousand people in attendance) and already happened to be a vegetarian with an Indian food–takeout obsession.
