Blog Tour & Review ~ Suddenly Engaged ~ by ~ Julia London

Can Kyra and Dax let go so easily—or has love become a preexisting condition?

 

SUDDENLY ENGAGED
Lake Haven #3
Julia London
Releasing July 25, 2017
Montlake

 

Single mother Kyra Kokinos spends her days waiting tables, her nights working on her
real estate license, and every spare moment with her precocious six-year-old
daughter, Ruby—especially when Ruby won’t stop pestering their grumpy next-door
neighbor. At first glance, Dax Bishop seems like the kind of gruff, solitary
guy who’d be unlikely to offer a cup of sugar, let alone a marriage proposal.
But that’s exactly what happens when Ruby needs life-saving surgery.
 
Dax showed up in East Beach a year ago, fresh from a painful divorce and looking for a
place where he could make furniture and avoid people. Suddenly his life is
invaded by an inquisitive munchkin in sparkly cowboy boots—and her frazzled,
too-tempting mother. So he presents a practical plan: his insurance will help
Ruby, and then they can divorce—zero strings attached.

But soon Kyra and Dax find their engagement of convenience is simple in name only. As
their attraction deepens, a figure from the past reappears, offering a way out.
Can Kyra and Dax let go so easily—or has love become a preexisting condition?

 

TastyToursReview

I love little Ruby!! She is the most adorable thing. A mark of a good book, when you totally fall for one of the secondary characters. And I did.

Kyra is a struggling single mom but she’s doing the best she can with what she has, and for that I wholly admire her and any single mom or dad. And Ruby is a precocious little thing so trying to rein in her spirit was a full-time job in itself.

Dax is just trying to get through the day, building and making furniture when this little pixie Ruby keeps coming over to his house to pet his dog. Which I can’t blame her for, I’d probably do the same thing! But Dax has had some tougher times and he just wants to keep to himself. But Ruby and her mom are just enough to convince him to stop being a hermit.

This story grabbed me immediately. I had to know how Dax and Kyra would get together and how Ruby fit in and what other mischief she would get into next.

5 stars!

 

Julia
London
 is
the New York TimesUSA Today, and Publishers
Weekly
 bestselling author of more than forty romance novels. Her
historical titles include the popular Desperate Debutantes series, the Cabot
Sisters series, and the Highland Grooms series. Her contemporary works include
the Lake Haven series, the Pine River series, and the Cedar Springs series. She
has won the RT Book Club Award for Best Historical Romance and has been a
six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic
fiction. She lives in Austin, Texas.
 

 

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Book Blitz ~ Broken ~ by ~ J.L. Drake

Title: Broken
Series: Broken Trilogy #1
Author: J.L. Drake
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: May 2, 2015
Publisher: Limitless Publisher

Amazon Review – “What an amazing book. From start to finish couldnt put it down.”

Amazon Review – “Addicting”

Amazon Review – “Couldn’t put my kindle down until it was finished”

Amazon Review – “DEFINITELY A PAGE-TURNER”

My name is Savannah Miller.

My father is the mayor of New York. One day after my twenty-seventh birthday I was grabbed from behind. A cloth sack was quickly pulled over my head, and I was taken from everything I’d ever known.

I was beaten, starved, treated like an animal, and forced to live in a room with no windows. With no sense of time and no dignity left I finally gave up hope and made a promise to myself to end it all. Unfortunately, it was going to be a slow process.

Then one night an elite group of US Army soldiers came to my rescue. I was brought to a safe house and given two options:

One—Stay under their protection and follow their rules or…

Two—Leave and be guaranteed to be returned to the savages within a week. 

I chose option one.

As I work with a therapist and begin processing my hellish ordeal things slowly begin to surface. With the help of new friends and a potential new love I fight to get my life back and make choices that will forever alter my future.

This is my story…
Bestselling author J. L. Drake was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, later moving to Southern California where she lives with her husband and two children. 

When she’s not writing, she loves to spend time with her family, travelling or just enjoying a night at home. One thing you might notice in her books is her love for the four seasons. Growing up on the east coast of Canada the change in the seasons is in her blood and is often mentioned in her writing. 
An avid reader of James Patterson, J.L. Drake has often found herself inspired by his many stories of mystery and intrigue. 

She hopes you will enjoy her stories as much as she has enjoyed writing them.

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Release Day Launch ~ Perilous Trust ~ by ~ Barbara Freethy

 

 

 

In PERILOUS TRUST, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy brings you the first book in a new romantic suspense series! OFF THE GRID: An FBI Series offers five breath-stealing books filled with action-packed plot, heart-stopping romance, and page-turning suspense.

It was one dark night that brought Damon Wolfe and Sophie Parker together. They were two tortured souls, looking for escape, and they weren’t supposed to see each other ever again…

Four years later, Sophie’s FBI father, who is also Damon’s mentor, is killed in a suspicious car crash after leaving Sophie a cryptic message to trust no one from the agency. When Damon shows up looking for her, she isn’t sure if he’s friend or enemy, but she knows he could easily rip apart what is left of her heart.

The last thing Damon wants is to get involved with Sophie again. It was hard enough to walk away the first time. But she’s in trouble, her father’s reputation is under attack, and the lives of his fellow agents are at stake if there’s a traitor in their midst.

When someone starts shooting at them, they have no choice but to go on the run and off the grid. Everyone in their world becomes a suspect. They want to uncover the truth, but will it turn out to be the last thing they expect? Proving her father’s innocence might just cost them their hearts…and their lives…

 

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She could see the war going on in Damon’s eyes, the need to do the right thing, the desire to feel what they’d felt once before.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said huskily.

“You won’t hurt me.”

“You said that the last time, but I hurt you then, and I don’t want to do it again.”

“That was different. We know each other better now.”

“That might be true, but there’s something else that’s also true—I don’t do love, Sophie. I’m not good at it, and it doesn’t work out. I might be exactly what you want in the night, but I will never be what you want in the morning.”

“In the morning? We don’t even know if we’re going to have a morning, Damon. You told me that I need to stay in the moment. This is the moment. So, stop fighting. Please, stop fighting.”

“You’re not playing fair, Sophie.”

“I’m not playing at all,” she said, recklessness driving her forward. She pressed her mouth against his, and took what she wanted. It was a heady, glorious, freeing feeling.

 

 

 

Barbara Freethy is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of 60 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women’s fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened Fog City Publishing in 2011 and has since sold over 7 million books! Twenty-three of her titles have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists, including one title, SUMMER SECRETS, which hit #1 on the NYT. In 2014 Barbara was named the Amazon KDP Bestselling Author of all time! She was also the first Indie writer to sell over a million books on Barnes and Noble.

Known for her emotional and compelling stories of love, family, romance and suspense, Barbara is a six-time finalist and two-time winner in the Romance Writers of America acclaimed RITA contest for her novels DANIEL’S GIFT and THE WAY BACK HOME.

For more information, visit her website at www.barbarafreethy.com

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Release Blitz ~ Wild Thing ~ by ~ J. Kenner

 

 

Part panther, part human, Luc Agassou lives a cursed life. Only his true mate can save him, but Luc has given up the hope of ever finding her. And so he stays hidden in the shadows, locking himself away from those he might harm.

Caitlyn Raine has spent her life fighting her own personal demons. Now a detective, she’s made it her mission to track down and lock away the human monsters that roam the dark streets of New Orleans.

From the moment he sees her, Luc knows that Cate is the the one. But in order to save him, Cate will have to give in to her own primal urges and leap into the dark … trusting that their love will save them both.

 

Buy Here: http://jklinks.co/wild_amz/

 

 

julie-j-kenner-author-photoJ.Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.

Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

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Release Blitz ~ Holly Freakin’ Hughes ~ by ~ Kelsey Kingsley

We’re celebrating the release of Holly Freakin’ Hughes by Kelsey Kingsley!!!

 

Holly Freakin’ Hughes
Adult Contemporary Romance

“People like you don’t fall in love with people like me.”

Meet Holly Hughes, a moderately successful teen advice columnist living in a studio apartment on the Upper East Side with her boyfriend Stephen. She has it all, but at the ripe age of thirty-one, she wants more. She wants to be married, she wants a family, and she’s going to have it all with Stephen.
At least, that’s what she thought, until Stephen announces he’s gay, and the domino effect of unfortunate events begins. She soon finds herself unemployed, single, and living in her sister’s house on Long Island, working as her niece’s babysitter for less than minimum wage. She’s pretty certain she’s destined to live in the Land of Mediocrity forever.
And then, her niece runs face-first into a tall, handsome man at the bookstore.

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:
Standing outside the door, I inhaled and exhaled slowly before knocking, making a conscious effort to clear my brain of anything but excitement for the night ahead. I told myself that Brandon didn’t want me, Brandon was only a friend, and with a final deep breath, I knocked.
As if he had been waiting right on the other side, the door flew open. There to greet me was Ben and three large tail-wagging Labrador Retrievers, two black and one yellow. The three beasts pushed past Ben, tripping up his legs as they rushed toward me; pushing against me with their huffing black noses and slobbering mouths.
One of them, the biggest of the black dogs, jumped up to rest his heavy paws against my chest. A thick tongue lapped out of his wide mouth to slurp over my face. My eyes squeezed shut through the sloppy assault, hovering somewhere between amusement and panic. After regaining his balance, Ben grabbed the dog by the collar and gently pulled him back to the ground.
“Jesus, Rocky, that’s not how we make friends,” Ben told the dog, crouching next to the excited animal, mushing his snout affectionately with his hands before standing to flash me a genuine grin.
“Hey, I’m sorry about that. We don’t get too many strangers around here. I hope you’re not afraid of dogs,” he said, apparently noticing the way I clutched my hands to my chest in an attempt to guard myself from the watering mouths of his hellhounds.
“O-oh, no, I, uh, I-I …” I closed my eyes, taking a deep controlled breath. I opened them again to Ben scratching the ears of the dog named Rocky, and I smiled then. “Let me try that again. No, I’m not afraid of dogs. I just wasn’t really expecting that to be the first kiss I got tonight, but you know, here we are.”
“Rocky just has a thing for the ladies, but here, let me make it up to you.” And before I knew what was happening, he was standing and snaking an arm around my waist. He pulled me into him to press his lips firmly against mine for all of a couple seconds before backing away with a dimpled grin. “Better?”
“Much,” I said with a relaxed smile.
Brandon who?

About the Author:

Kelsey Kingsley is a writer of short stories, poetry, and novels, primarily centered around romance from both the perspective of men and women. She prides herself on being both witty and depressing, but finds it easier to be depressing for some depressing reason.

Release Blitz ~ Fidelity World Series ~ by ~ Aleatha Romig & Guests

 

 

Envy- A.D. Justice

Though I denied it, envy ruled most of my life.

I was always the outsider among people born to privilege.

Envy made me despise them, the Montague Manor elitists.

Until I fell in love with one of them.

Wyatt Spencer Weston changed my life.

He changed me for the better, at first.

Until his inconceivable betrayal nearly destroyed me.

He recently took control of his family’s business and the vast wealth that comes with it.

I’ve waited years for this day to arrive.

Envy used to rule me. Now a driving need for revenge does.

Wyatt will soon learn a valuable lesson in envy.

When you have everything, you have more to lose.

 

 

Revelation – Amy Briggs

Lucinda Quinn couldn’t wait to get out of her small town and make a name for herself in New York City. But what she found was the harsh reality that nothing comes easy. Working as an intern, with long nights and menial tasks doing nothing for her career, she doesn’t bat an eye at becoming an employee of one of New York’s best kept secrets – Infidelity. One year of companionship, with a well-connected rich man in the city, is just the ticket she needs to finally skyrocket her dream of becoming a successful businesswoman.

Ryder Donahue is one of Manhattan's most eligible bachelors. With a thriving multi-million dollar company, and stunning good looks, he could have any woman he wants. Except that he’s tired of the distraction of the dating scene, filled with nothing but gold diggers, throwing themselves at him for status and money. Knowing he needs an escort to events, to establish his credibility among the old money in New York City, he hires a companion from the Infidelity Club to be his stand-in girlfriend for the year.

When Lucinda and Ryder meet, their pasts collide, setting in motion a tumultuous roller coaster of events that leave them wondering what could have been, and what could be. Will the two set aside their jaded memories to turn this business arrangement into a relationship? Find out in Revelation, a Fidelity World novella.

 

 

Collared-Leteisha Newton

Death changes us all …

Without my husband, my world caved. The business we built together is a prison. Our home, once filled with laughter and passion, is a tomb for what was. I want to give it all away and find a new place to start over. But the needs inside me, long-hidden whispers, won’t leave me alone. What I crave, a newfound darkness to match the pain, is impossible to ignore.

When Infidelity offers me a chance for fulfillment and a companion with no strings, I grasped it with both hands.

My Master is hurting. He’s filled with agonies and releases them on my flesh. We push and pull, an Owner and his slave, and I am helpless at his feet. But he strengthens me, giving me the power to fight his demons and substitute for what he’s lost.

I wasn’t supposed to fall in love, shouldn’t want to be more than a replacement. But I did, and I do. We only have the agreement between us, but I want him to own me irrevocably. Forever, always, to keep me …

Collared.

 

 

Diamonds by N Kuhn

As a diamond broker for the Costello crime family, you should never, ever, fall in love, with the Feds, especially one sexy black haired, green eyed vixen, set on putting you away.

They say, diamonds are a girl’s best friend. But when they are blood diamonds, from a criminal you’re supposed to put away, this Federal Agent can’t keep them, or him. Can she?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Devious-Solease Barner

Revenge is best served cold… until her.

Jaxson Montgomery has worked long and hard to climb to the top of the business world. His company is one in which image and connections mean success or failure. He’s known as ‘The Fixer’, and for the right price, he can make any problem disappear. His services are sought by the wealthiest and most famous people across the globe… and, quite often, the most notorious and criminally inclined as well. He’s respected by men and adored by women. To society, he appears to be a man with everything, good looks, charm, wealth, and, if he so desires, a different woman every night of the week.

But in his world, appearances are only a matter of perception. Jaxson Montgomery does not have everything. There’s one thing he desperately wants and he’s determined to have it, by any means necessary. After tragedy in his own life leaves him reeling and broken with a problem even he’s unable to fix, Jaxson is determined to seek retribution. He has the perfect plan. It’s devious, dark, and dangerous, but failure is not an option. Jaxson learned long ago to keep his friends close and enemies, closer. He’s prepared to do whatever it takes to have his revenge… even if it means sleeping with the enemy.

And the beautiful Silvia Demetri is the perfect pawn. After all, revenge is always best served cold…

Until it isn’t.

Kindhearted Silvia Demetri doesn’t have the perfect life. Yet, to the world, she appears to have everything a woman could possibly want… beauty, intelligence, sophistication, money. But we all know, appearances can be deceiving. There’s something missing, something very important. She yearns for love, but has given up all hope of finding it.

When Silvia begins preparations for her annual charity foundation event, little does she know her entire life is about to be changed by a simple chance encounter with a handsome, charming stranger, one who will sweep her off her feet, make her feel things she’s never experienced, and turn her world upside down.

A man who knows nothing about her or her family… or so she thinks.

But what if meeting Jaxson Montgomery wasn’t chance at all…

Maybe it was something far more devious.

 

 

Captivate – Stacey Lynn

Claudia Townsend, daughter of disgraced Judge Keith Townsend needs a fresh start, and in New York, she finds exactly what she’s looking for.

Raised with poise and grace and a lifetime of being around the wealthiest members of society in Savannah, Georgia, becoming a client of Infidelity makes perfect sense. It offers her everything she needs—financial security, a new life, and the possibility of final getting rid of her pesky V-Card.

What—or who—she doesn’t expect, is for Liam Allistor to come crashing in and messing up all of her new plans.

Liam Allistor has more secret than he has tattoos. His deep set black eyes and banging body along with his mystery allure is what makes panties drop as soon as he steps on stage in crowded arenas. But then he’s rocked by a scandal and his ticket sales plummet. His tour ends at breakneck speed, and everyone, including Liam, is left wondering if his career has come to a screeching halt.

He needs a publicity makeover, but more than that…he needs a girlfriend. And Infidelity is just the place for him to find one.

His agent wants him to clean up his image. Infidelity wants his money and silence.

And Liam? He wants Claudia, and he doesn’t care what he has to do to get her.

 

On August 3 from 6 – 10 PM EST….in Aleatha Romig's Updates and Teasers we will have a THE FIDELITY WORLD LAUNCH CELEBRATION. Different authors every 15 minutes. Special appearances by THE DRAZEN WORLD and IMPERFECT LOVE WORLD – Kindle Worlds. The grand prize for the celebration is a Kindle Paper White.

Here's the link to the group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1478310262469278/

 Buy here: https://www.aleatharomig.com/infidelity-worlds

 

 

 

 

aleatharomig1Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana, USA. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Aleatha has raised three children with her high school sweetheart and husband of nearly thirty years. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she's not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time a with her family and friends. Her other pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!

Aleatha released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became a bestselling series with five novels and two companions released from 2011 through 2015. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has graced more than half a million e-readers. Aleatha released the first of her series TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE, INSIDIOUS, in the fall of 2014. These stand alone thrillers continue Aleatha's twisted style with an increase in heat.

In the fall of 2015, Aleatha moved head first into the world of dark romantic suspense with the release of BETRAYAL, the first of her five novel INFIDELITY series that has taken the reading world by storm. She also began her traditional publishing career with Thomas and Mercer. Her books INTO THE LIGHT and AWAY FROM THE DARK were published through this mystery/thriller publisher in 2016.

2017 brings Aleatha's first "Leatha, the lighter side of Aleatha" with PLUS ONE, a fun, sexy romantic comedy.

Aleatha is a "Published Author's Network" member of the Romance Writers of America and PEN America. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

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Release Blitz ~ TS901: Anomaly ~ by ~ Stacey Rourke & Tish Thawer

Title: TS901: Anomaly Rise of the Rebels
Series: The TS901 Chronicles
Author: Stacey Rourke & Tish Thawer
Genre: NA Fantasy Dystopian 
Release Date: August 1, 2017
On Sale for 99 Pennies 

Tainted water for the good of the people. Fluoride and vitamins to sustain the health of the human race. Added ingredients to extend and elevate the quality of life. All good things, right?

Wrong.

Thia Kelly has been changed by the TS901 chemical in the world’s water supply. Now, forced into hiding with the other inflicted outcasts, she struggles to survive as her powers emerge.

Evan Daniels hunted for others like himself, and finding Thia suddenly brought meaning back into his life. Love blossomed between the strange couple while they searched for a way to reverse the effects. Unfortunately, the Government had something else in mind.

Super-soldier creation on a mass scale was their end goal, and thanks to an unfortunate family tie, Evan became Patient #1.

Good-guy? Bad-guy? The world isn’t sure, but Thia is left with only one choice––save the ass of the world’s first Anomaly who just happens to be her boyfriend.

 

RONE Award Winner for Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012 for Embrace, a Gryphon Series Novel
Young Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012
Turning Pages Magazine Winner for Best YA book of 2013 & Best Teen Book of 2013 
Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner for Crane 2015

Stacey Rourke is the author of the award winning YA Gryphon Series, the chillingly Legends Saga, and the romantic comedy Reel Romance Series. She currently hard at work on the Unfortunate Soul Chronicles, and additional literary projects. She lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant dogs. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction, and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head.


Award Winning Author, Tish Thawer, writes paranormal romances for all ages. Her magickal elements and detailed world-building are a welcome constant in every novel.

Before becoming a writer she worked as a computer consultant, a photographer and a graphic designer. She also operates a custom glass etching business, in addition to being a wife and the mother of three wonderful children.

She’s been a fan of the paranormal for as long as she can remember. Anything to do with superpowers, myth and magic has always held a special place in her heart. From her first paranormal cartoon, Isis, to the phenomenon that is Twilight, this genre has always been a part of her life.
 

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Cover Reveal ~ Day Of Reckoning ~ by ~ Chelsea Camaron

Title: Day of Reckoning
Series: Devil’s Due MC #4
Author: Chelsea Camaron
Genre: MC Romance
Release Date: August 24, 2017
Cover Designer: Cover Me Darling

Time served for a crime he didn’t commit only provided many lessons learned. The domino effect of one person’s crime going unpunished cuts deeply and leaves a mark that can never be covered.

He’s no saint.

Jackson ‘Rowdy’ Presley did a dime, and he served his time silently. He could have brought down the real criminals, but instead he took the term and paid the price. Never have loyalty before the Devil’s Due MC, he finally has the new beginning he desperately needs.

She’s not afraid to call herself a sinner.

Peony Michele Forbes lives her life wherever the wind takes her. She walked away from her past to give herself a future with no restrictions. As much as she wants to forget who she it, others don’t want to let her disappear so easily.

However, danger follows her everywhere she goes.

Will Jackson see beyond his jaded connection to Peony and find there is more to life than revenge? When backed to the wall, will Peony let herself trust Jackson to be the one to save her?

Love, hate, anger, and passion collide as the time comes, and the devil demands his due.

Chelsea Camaron is a small town Carolina girl with a big imagination. She is a wife and mom chasing her dreams. She writes contemporary romance, erotic suspense, and psychological thrillers. She loves to write blue-collar men who have real problems with a fictional twist. From mechanics to bikers to oil riggers to smokejumpers, bar owners, and beyond, she loves a strong hero who works hard and plays harder.

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Release Blitz ~ Links ~ by ~ Lisa Becker

Title: Links
Author: Lisa Becker
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

Charlotte Windham, a nerdy high school prodigy who tutored classmates to earn money for college, escapes her geeky past to become a celebrated novelist. During a chance encounter at a Los Angeles restaurant 15 years after high school, she reconnects with her secret crush, Garrett Stephens, the popular star athlete and teen heart breaker. Garrett, still leaving broken hearts in his wake, is now a successful professional golfer who recently suffered a possible career-ending shoulder injury. As he and Charlotte spend time together, developing a friendship based on mutual respect and comfortable companionship, can Charlotte forgive the past and can Garrett reform his lothario ways for a chance at love?

I stand but hesitate when I see Tamika’s disapproving look. Fi notices as well. “It’s okay, T. I got this,” she says, motioning for me to follow her back. When we get to her small office, she closes the door and gestures for me to sit on a red vinyl chair, circa 1972. She stands in front of me, leaning against the desk, and crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Spill!”

“Where should I start?”

“At the beginning.” She walks around to her chair behind the desk and pulls out a yellow legal pad.

For the next half hour, I go over my encounter with Garrett, from the moment we bumped into each other and he didn’t recognize me, to the embarrassment of being called ‘Glasses.’

Fi takes notes furiously on her pad and grins, nods, and cringes at all the appropriate times. When I finish, she puts her pen down and asks, “Do you want the ‘best friend experience’ or the ‘brilliant legal mind experience’?”

I can’t help but laugh. “Are they mutually exclusive?”

“They are,” she says nodding. 

“Okay. I want the best friend experience.”

She rushes around from behind the desk, wraps her arms around me soothingly. “I’m so sorry, hon. That sounds just awful. Let’s go get margaritas tomorrow and drown our sorrows in tequila and lime wedges.”

“Thanks, Fi. You’re the best.”

“Anytime,” she says, rubbing my back. She pulls away and walks around to the back of her desk. She sits down and puts the legal pad to the side. I can’t help but notice the writing scrawled across it.

“Just for kicks, what would you have said if I had asked for the ‘brilliant legal mind experience’?”

“You sure you want to know?” Her lips pull into a grim line. Honestly, I’m not sure I do want to know, but curiosity gets the better of me. 

“Lay it on me,” I say.

“You need to get laid. Not the kind of bland, missionary style sex you had with Alex. You need hot heat, sweating up the sheets, crazy animal sex.”

I bust out laughing. “That’s your brilliant legal advice. Crazy animal sex?”

“Yes. That’s my brilliant legal advice,” she says with complete seriousness. “Listen, hon, it’s been a year since that insecure jerk Keane dumped you. I have no doubt it’s been even longer since you’ve, well, you know.” She wags her eyebrows up and down. “Before that, you only seriously dated Travis the cheater and Alex who, let’s face it, despite being completely gonzo for you, was a cold fish and a bore. It’s time to stop comparing every man to this fantasy of Garrett Stephens and just do it with him to get it out of your system. He asked you out for Saturday night. Go! Enjoy!”

“I don’t compare every man to Garrett,” I snap at her.

“Don’t you?” she asks, looking down at me sternly. 

“I’m offended you even suggested that.” She looks at me, her sharp eyes boring into me, like she can read my every thought and knows I’m full of it. I imagine this is how she bears down on witnesses on the stand. I don’t like being on the receiving end of that look.

“Even if that’s true,” I start and she nods her head, “and I’m not conceding it is.” I point my finger at her. “Even if he did mean to ask me out, there’s no way it’s a good idea. He’s a total player. It would only be one night of fun and I don’t think I could get over that kind of hurt.”

“Then you need to get over it now. Sorry for the tough love, hon, but you need to move past the fantasy of this man and find someone passionate and amazing who is deserving to love you for all of the great things you have to offer including your messed-up childhood and your incredible success today.”
Lisa Becker is a romance writer whose previous novels include Click: An Online Love Story, Double Click and Right Click. The books, about a young woman’s search for love online in Los Angeles, have been called, “a fast read that will keep you entertained,” “a fun, quick read for fans of Sex and the City,” and “hard to put down.” The first in the series was optioned for a major motion picture.


Lisa’s writings about online dating have been featured in Cupid’s Pulse, GalTime.com, Single Edition, The Perfect Soulmate, Chick Lit Central and numerous other book blogs and websites. 

As Lisa’s grandmother used to say, “For every chair, there’s a rush.” Lisa is now happily married to a man she met online and lives in Manhattan Beach with him and their two daughters. So, if it happened for her, there’s hope for anyone!


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