Spotlight: When Rivals Lose by J.L. Beck and C. Hallman

HARLOW

Darkness surrounds me. Who am I? I don’t remember anything. Every memory of my life gone. 

I wake in a hospital not knowing my own name. I don’t know these people who claim to be are my parents, but they take care of me, they show me pictures… and introduce me to my fiancé?

I guess I was living a perfect life before my accident. I had it all, so I try to remember. I try to keep living my life, but I can’t shake the feeling that something is off. I’m noticing things are not adding up. I’m catching people around me lying and I know something is terribly wrong.

It seems like my memory is not the only thing missing… 

SULLIVAN 

How could I have been so stupid? How could I’ve let them play me like this? This is all my fault. I hurt her, I let this happen, and now she is in her parents clutches again. Even worse, she doesn’t remember anything… she doesn’t remember us.

I hate my parents for playing their part in this and my brothers hate me for playing mine. I need to fix this. I need to make my brothers forgive me so we can save her, we need to make her remember what kind of people her parents really are… before it’s too late.

Now the only question is if she remembers… will she ever forgive me?

Goodreads link: https://bit.ly/2ZVA9ND

Excerpt

“Oliver,” I whisper calling out to him. Stirring lightly, his eyes blink open and like two magnets drawn together, our gazes collide. 

“Hey you, feeling better?” His sleepy voice is gruff, but the hand cradling my head is warm and gentle. 

“Yeah… I don’t know what happened, I think I drank too much,” I admit. Only then do I remember the creep who got handsy with me earlier. “Thanks for helping me with that guy earlier.”

“There is no need to thank me.” Olivers voice drops and I involuntarily shiver at the deepness of it. “We’re friends, and that's what friends do, they protect each other.”

I don't understand why if everyone is telling me to stay away from them why he would protect me, or even say we're friends. Am I dreaming still? 

“Are we friends?” I ask, sitting up, and slowly turning to face him. “Everyone keeps telling me to stay away from you and your brothers, because you are trying to hurt me.”

“We’re friends.” He answers, his voice clipped. “And hurting you is the last thing I want to do right now.” The sincerity of his voice causes a slow heat to unravel through my lower belly. 

“Were.. were we ever more than friends?” I stutter over the words to my question. Do I really want to know the answer? All these memories, and thoughts, the things that, that guy said to me earlier about wanting three… cocks. It was almost as if he was implying that I was sleeping with all three of them. 

“It’s complicated… just know that we care about you and we are trying to watch out for you. No one is going to hurt you, not ever again.”

“And by we you mean you, Banks, and Sullivan?” 

“Yes, we all care about you.” His eyes dart away and out the window into the darkness of the night. There’s a long pause before he speaks again, and it’s almost like he’s gathering his own thoughts. “I should take you back to your dorm, now that you’re feeling better.”

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About the Authors

J.L. Beck & C. Hallman are an author duo who love reading, writing, and coffee. After meeting by happenstance they decided to write a book together, which later turned into many, many more. When they aren't writing or plotting their next book, they're playing mom and wife. They both share a love for dark romance, and enjoy a happily ever after as much as the next reader. 

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Spotlight: Crossed Lines by Lana Sky

Crossed Lines
Lana Sky
Publication date: August 14th 2019
Genres: Adult, Coming of Age, Women’s Fiction

Psychopath. Borderline. Crazy.

Seventeen-year-old Maryanne Mayweather wears each term like a badge of pride. Expelled from her twelfth boarding school, she lands on the doorstep of her flighty aunt Elaine and Elaine’s husband James, one more screw-up away from being made a ward of the state.

Once a successful author, the last thing James Thorne wants is to care for his wife’s bratty teenage niece, especially with his marriage falling apart. When Maryanne crafts an elaborate plan to defame and destroy him, they both discover that words are more powerful than either of them could imagine. And as their relationship goes down a path neither envisioned, the consequences are swift and far-reaching.

Some lines weren’t meant to be crossed.

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★★★★★ “It is more, so much more than you’d expect. This is a gripping, thought provoking read that easily and quickly ensnares you in Maryanne and James’ story. A story that pushes boundaries, buttons and crosses big red lines of both the reader and the characters involved.” ~ Amazon Reviewer

★★★★★ “Reading Crossed Lines was a bit like riding a roller-coaster. The slow build of the story line was like the clicking and clacking of the coaster while on it’s way to the top – a false sense of knowing what lied ahead. I was so ignorant of what truly waited for me just a few clicks away.
Once the story peeked I couldn’t put it down -trapped in the pages – my lungs fighting to breathe – then slowly the rhythmic click followed by the clack returned and with it my breath. I relaxed believing that the worst was over.
It wasn’t.” ~ Amazon Reviewer

★★★★★ “It rocked my world, my heart and my brain. I can’t recommend this enough if you are down for an unconventional ride for one of the TOP READS OF THE YEAR!!” ~ Amazon Reviewer

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EXCERPT:

“You need me, huh?” he taunts against my mouth, sounding so, so angry. “Do you want to ruin my life that badly? Fine, then. Get me fired. Go ahead.” A hiss escapes his lips when I don’t pull away like he wants me to. Like he needs me to.

I stay.

And it’s just a kiss at first. A kiss…

Slow. Electrifying. Deeper.

His hands creep into my hair, raking. My own hands are clinging to him for dear life. We’re at the edge of a glaring red boundary—I can feel it, a sensation like balancing on the edge of a cliff. One wrong move, and whoosh!

He should push me away now. I tense, preparing for it. My heart thumps, steeling against the pain. I’m ready to fall alone.

But he keeps kissing me. Touching me. Drowning me.

And, with one swift motion, we both jump.

Author Bio:

Lana Sky is a reclusive writer in the United States who spends most of her time daydreaming about complex male characters and legless cats. She writes mostly paranormal romance, in between watching reruns of Ab Fab and drinking iced tea. Only iced tea.

Drain Me is her debut novel and the first novel in the upcoming "Ellie Gray Chronicles."

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Spotlight: Logan: 7 Brides for 7 Blackthornes (#6) by Samantha Chase

Series: 7 Brides for 7 Blackthornes #6

Release Date: September 5, 2019

About the Book

Meet the Blackthorne men, each one as hot, fast, and smooth as the whisky that built the family fortune, and the yachts and race cars that bear their name. From proud Scottish stock, Blackthornes never lose. But, one by one, the seven sexy men in this family are about to risk everything when they fall for strong and beautiful women who test their mettle in life…and love. 

It’s not easy being the youngest Blackthorne, and Logan has never shied away from a challenge. No matter what everyone thinks. Coming home to Maine finds him dealing with not only family surprises, but the shock of finding the caretaker’s daughter all grown up.

Piper’s dream is to design her own games, not play them. And Logan Blackthorne is the ultimate player. It’s one thing to hang out with Logan as a friend, but he’s far too charming for her own good.

Logan promises hours of pleasure, but should she settle for less than happily ever after?

Goodreads: https://geni.us/LoganGoodreads 

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About the Author

Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

Website: https://www.chasing-romance.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamanthaChase3 

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthachaseromance/ 

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BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-chase

Spotlight: Sweet Talker by Robin Bielman

Meet the Author:

Robin Bielman is the USA Today bestselling author of over fifteen novels. When not attached to her laptop, she loves to read, go to the beach, frequent coffee shops (and by frequent she means daily but she's trying to break the habit), and spend time with her high school sweetheart husband and two sons. Her fondness for swoon-worthy heroes who flirt and stumble upon the girl they can’t live without jumpstarts most of her story ideas. She writes with a steady stream of caffeine nearby (see above) and the best dog on the planet, Harry, by her side. She also dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers. Keep in touch on social! xoxo

Connect: Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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About the Book:

He likes to be in control…

It’s like this: I’m the hottest restauranteur on the west coast. I work hard, play hard, and love my family. I’m also the guy on the receiving end of some unwelcome threats and fixation. Then Pascale Nichols walks back into my life, and I forget about everything but her. They say lightening never strikes twice, but she’s the one that got away. She’s also, I soon discover, the one my family *secretly* hired to protect me. Am I mad? Hell, yes. Am I game to play along? You bet.

She’s in over her head…

Everyone knows and loves Ethan Auprince. With his sexy-as-sin dimples and crazy likeability, he’s always the center of attention. I’ve been tasked with protecting celebrities, bigwigs, and high-ranking officials, but when I come face-to-face with the man I spent one incredible summer with, I’m in trouble. A careless mistake on my last assignment cost me, and now Ethan is looking at me like he wants to devour me, not cooperate with my subtle instructions while I work under the guise of his restaurant manager.

My reputation is at risk. His safety is on the line. But worse, were falling in love again.

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Spotlight: Return to Me by Farrah Rochon

Three years after his bride-to-be jilted him at the altar, Jonathan Campbell is still struggling to expunge every reminder of her from his life. His new motto is to never again expose his heart to such anguish. But when she pops up uninvited on his doorstep, his life is suddenly upended all over again.

A case of cold feet sent Ivana Culpepper running the week before her wedding. She found refuge and purpose in Haiti, working with relief aid organization Operation: Heal. When a series of circumstances force her to return to her hometown of New Orleans, Ivana must face the consequences of her actions and the bitter rejection of the man she once loved.

Can Ivana convince Jonathan to give her another chance, or is her betrayal too much for their newly reawakened love to overcome?

Excerpt

The stiff breeze blowing off the Mississippi River whipped Ivana Culpepper’s long, natural hair around her head. She caught it up and twisted it in an attempt to tame the mass of wavy locks, to no avail. Forgetting about her hair, Ivana took another ten steps forward before stopping at the corner of Ursuline and Chartres Streets. She could make out the sloped roof of the house on the far end of the block, could tell by the fresh cornflower blue color of the dormer that it had received another coat of paint since she’d last seen it three years ago. 

Three years ago. 

It didn’t seem that long, yet, in a way, it seemed like a lifetime ago. When Ivana thought about the person she’d been when she left New Orleans on that balmy summer afternoon, she had a hard time reconciling her with the woman standing on this chipped French Quarter street right now. Save for a few additional wrinkles that had popped up in the corners of her eyes and a faded scratch courtesy of a run-in with a cactus during a hike in the mountains of Hispaniola, she looked the same. 

It was the insidethat had changed. 

“Not completely. You’re still too much of a coward to face him.”

She sucked in a deep, cleansing breath and tried to convince herself that she wasn’t a coward. But as comforting—even necessary—as it occasionally was to lie to herself, it had never done her any good in the past. 

If she wasn’t a coward, she wouldn’t have spent the past two weeks avoiding the man she was supposed to marry just a week before she’d left that faithful day in July. She wouldn’t have spent an entire night in costume two weeks ago at the kickoff party for the Diane Holmes Foundation, trailing him around the room, wondering about his relationship with the gorgeous woman he’d had on his arm. 

It isn’t your concern who he has on his arm.

She’d had her chance to be that person, and had thrown it away. When it came to Jonathan Campbell, she didn’t have any claim on him. Zero. He was a man from her past. A man she’d loved, but one she’d run from. And if it wasn’t for the fact that a close friend needed legal advice, Ivana would have done everything in her power to continue running from Jonathan. 

She should have told Angus that she couldn’t help him. There were other channels he could have gone through to address his situation. But it went against everything in her nature not to help a person in need. Providing aid to those in trouble was at the heart of her very existence. It’s how she’d met Angus Thomson. A fellow relief worker, they’d worked alongside each other for the past three years in Haiti. So when Angus had called, frantic over an issue with his G-1 visa, Ivana couldn’t help but get involved. When she realized that they needed to talk to someone with legal expertise, Jonathan was the first person who came to mind. 

A chill raced through her body, and it had nothing to do with the brisk wind still blowing off the river. She lifted the long, simple, slightly tarnished chain she kept around her neck and fiddled with the breathtaking ring that hung from it. For the past three years she’d worn the engagement ring Jonathan had given her close to her heart, treating it like a talisman, seeking strength from it when she needed courage. Ironic that she would turn to it today, when the courage she sought had to do with facing the man who’d given her the ring in the first place. 

She’d envisioned the moment when she would face Jonathan again countless times, speculating about how he would react. Would he be upset? Relieved? Would he look at her as if she were a ghost? She’d tried to put herself in his position, but when she considered what herreaction would be to seeing someone who’d left only a week before their wedding, she could barely stomach it. 

Regret coasted through her bloodstream. Thick, suffocating regret. She knew the taste of it well. It had been a healthy part of her diet for years now. 

She needed to just get this over with. She would fulfill her promise to Angus, and then she would leave. Who knows, maybe Jonathan wouldn’t even be around. It was late. He may have already left the office.

Ivana closed her eyes, sent up a quick prayer, and crossed the street. A mixture of anxiety and anticipation traveled along her skin as she moved ever closer to the gorgeous structure. The sun had just started its descent, turning the western sky an array of warm oranges, reds and purples. 

Her heart thudded within her chest when she noticed a sleek black sedan parked in the reserved parking spot next to the law office. 

Well, so much for him not being here.

She’d spent the afternoon coming up with things to do in order to delay her trip, hoping by the time she arrived everyone would be gone for the day. Jonathan had always put in way too many hours at the office. She’d gotten him out of the habit, but apparently he’d reverted back to being a workaholic. 

As she approached the house, Ivana couldn’t help but remember the first time she encountered Jonathan here, the very first day they met. She’d charged up the steps of the three-story creole cottage, prepared to do everything within her power to save the house from the ruin she just knew its new owner was preparing to heap upon it. 

It had been determined that the house was the place where the first known voodoo healing in New Orleans had occurred, according to her sisters of the religion, which she had practiced for years. When she learned the house was slated to become a new law practice, Ivana assumed the buyer was going to gut it. Instead, he’d restored it to its former glory. 

Only days after their thorny initial encounter, she’d been stunned speechless when she’d gone to dinner at the home of longtime family friend, Margo Holmes, and found herself sitting directly across the table from Jonathan Campbell. That’s when Ivana learned that he was the college basketball teammate of her now brother-in-law, Tobias Holmes, her baby sister Sienna’s husband. 

It all seemed so, so long ago. 

This little jaunt down memory lane isn’t helping. Speed it up.

Ivana rolled her eyes at the annoying voice in her head, which, for some reason, did not want to get with the program when it came to stalling this inevitable meeting. But it wasinevitable. She knew this. It was a miracle she’d managed to go the past two weeks without Jonathan discovering her presence in New Orleans. He was too tied to her family to expect this avoidance dance to go on much longer. It was time she ripped off the Band-Aid.  

She climbed the porch steps and tried the door. It was locked. 

Of course, it was locked. It was after normal work hours. She rang the doorbell, her heart’s ridiculous racing picking up even more steam as she waited. Ivana counted a full sixty seconds before ringing it again. Maybe he wasn’t here after all. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that he left a car parked at the law firm at all times. 

Just as she made the decision to leave, the door opened and the man she’d been prepared to marry appeared on the other side. 

Every drop of breath she possessed seemed to rush out of her lungs. She’d seen him at the gala a few weeks ago, but always from a distance. This was the first time she’d been this close to him in three years. 

The aromatic, woodsy notes of his cologne assaulted her senses, the faint smell bringing with it powerful memories of the one time in her life when she’d felt true happiness. When she’d felt loved. The weight of it was almost enough to break her.   

“Hello, Jonathan,” she managed to say, the words struggling past the knot of emotion wedged in her throat. 

He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. A silent, unbearably uncomfortable eternity. Those arresting, gorgeous eyes she’d spent hours gazing into as she lay languidly in his arms now looked at her with a mix of shock and aversion.  

“I hope I’m not—” But before she could finish, the alluring lilt of a woman’s soft voice came from somewhere nearby. 

“Jonathan, what time is the band supposed to start?” The woman arrived at the door, sidling up alongside him. “Oh, hello,” she said to Ivana, her eyes wide with surprise.  

Ivana took in the stunning, honey-toned beauty with legs that went on for days. She looked from the woman standing next to him in a gorgeous body-hugging gown that shimmered with thousands of crystals, to Jonathan, whom she just now realized wore a sleek, black tuxedo. 

He was going out. Theywere going out. On a date. 

A retched sensation settled like a lead anchor in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t as if she was surprised he was seeing someone; she’d had to put a stop to Sienna’s reports on his extremely robust dating life over the years. But hearing about it from her sister while she worked in a village thousands of miles away was different from witnessing it firsthand.  

“I…” Ivana started. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just…I needed to speak with you.” 

The discomfort in the air was palpable as he continued to stare at her with that stoic expression. After another few moments passed, he finally said, “We’re late for an event.”  

The iciness in his tone caused a shock of goosebumps to pop up along her skin. They were the first words he’d spoken to her in three years. To have him address her so coldly, without an ounce of feeling, was something she probably should have anticipated, but foolishly had not. 

She would be lying if she said it didn’t hurt. She would also be lying if she didn’t admit that it was nothing less than what she deserved. 

“I—” Ivana said again, but she wasn’t sure how to respond. “I’m sorry for bothering you,” she finally managed. The words felt like sandpaper as the came out of her throat. 

“Come by tomorrow during normal business hours,” Jonathan said. He turned to the woman next to him. “Are you ready?”

“I just need to grab my clutch.” She looked to Ivana. “Excuse me,” she said, her eyes kind, her smile even kinder. “I love your skirt, by the way.”

Ivana looked down at her bright, flowing skirt. She had a closet full of them. “Thank you,” she returned. 

She looked back up to find Jonathan staring at her with an emotionless expression. She’d run dozens of scenarios in her head, anticipating how he would react when they finally saw each other again. She’d readied herself for his shock. Even for his fury. But never for such…indifference. His apathy at what she considered to be one of the most significant moments she’d faced in years made her feel hollow inside.  

“I should have called before coming,” Ivana said once she and Jonathan were alone again. 

His brows arched and he shook his head, huffing out a humorless grunt of laughter. “A call? Yeah, maybe you should have called after three years,” he finished with unmistakable disdain in his voice. 

Ah, there it was. There was the anger she’d anticipated. 

The knot in her belly tightened by several degrees. 

She’d expected this, hadn’t she? Anger was an acceptable reaction when the woman who’d left you at the altar showed up on your doorstep without warning after three long years. His anger was totally justified. Still, that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. 

“Jonathan, I know—” Ivana started, but stopped when his date returned, carrying a sparkling royal blue clutch in her hand. 

“I’m ready,” the woman said. She captured Jonathan’s arm and wrapped her hand around it. It wasn’t an overly possessive move, yet Ivana still had a visceral reaction to seeing the woman’s delicate fingers caressing his skin. Her head knew that she’d given up all rights to him the moment she’d boarded that plane to Haiti, but her heart didn’t care. Her throat ached and her insides clenched with proprietorial jealousy.

Jonathan and his date stepped out onto the porch. Ivana wasn’t sure why she remained standing there as he locked the door behind him. She should have left two minutes ago, after he’d so coldly told her to come back tomorrow. 

Yet she remained standing there, watching as the impeccably dressed couple turned toward the stairs. 

“Goodnight,” the woman on his arm said. Jonathan tipped his head in a bid of farewell before escorting his date down the stairs and to the black sedan. 

Ivana walked down the porch and onto the sidewalk. She stood there watching as his car backed out of the parking spot and pulled onto the street.  

Her eyes connected briefly with Jonathan’s as he stared at her in the rearview mirror seconds before turning onto St. Phillip Street. 

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About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Farrah Rochon hails from a small town just west of New Orleans. She has garnered much acclaim for her Holmes Brothers, New York Sabers, Bayou Dreams and Moments in Maplesville series. The two-time RITA® Award finalist has also been nominated for an RT BOOKReviews Reviewers Choice Award, and in 2015 received the Emma Award for Author of the Year.

When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, cooking, traveling the world, visiting Walt Disney World, and catching her favorite Broadway shows.

CONNECT WITH FARRAH ROCHON: AUTHOR SITE | NEWSLETTER | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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Spotlight: No More Bad Dates by Kate O’Keeffe

No More Bad Dates
Kate O’Keeffe
((High Team #1) (Cozy Cottage Café, #5))
Publication date: September 5th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “The perfect fun-filled escape from reality. Kate O’Keeffe at her delightful best!”- Whitney Dineen, bestselling author of Relatively Normal

Three friends form the No More Bad Dates Pact: stop dating the wrong guys and start dating the right ones – weirdos and jerks need not apply.

Twenty-five-year-old Sophie McCarthy’s career is virtually nonexistent, her family expects her to “do something important” with her life, and she’s totally sick of dating the wrong guys: the self-absorbed, the arrogant, the borderline criminally insane.

After she’s unceremoniously dumped during the vows at her boss’s wedding, she and her two equally disappointed-in-love best friends agree to help each other find decent guys to date. Together, they form the No More Bad Dates Pact: stop dating the wrong guys and start dating the right ones–weirdos and jerks need not apply.

When Sophie’s roommate Jason Christie–a.k.a. doctor-in-training and serial nurse-dater–joins the pact, he vows to weed out the bad ones for her. But with his rejection of every guy Sophie meets, she begins to wonder if he’s got an ulterior motive. And anyway, why does she always have so much more fun with Jason than with the guys she’s actually trying to date?

While desperately seeking her “happy for now,” could Sophie stumble into her “happily ever after?”

High Tea is a spin-off of Kate O’Keeffe’s bestselling Cozy Cottage Café series. Escape to New Zealand in this fun, feel-good chick lit series!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “I love this book! If you want a novel you won’t be able to put down and will leave you with a smile on your face after you finish it, this is a great choice! So sweet and romantic!” – Annabelle Costa, bestselling author of My Perfect Ex-Boyfriend

Books in the High Tea series:
Book 1: No More Bad Dates
Book 2: No More Terrible Dates – releasing very soon!
Book 3: No More Horrible Dates – releasing soon!

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

I love weddings. The emotion, the vows, the optimism, the dress. All of it. I know I’m a total romantic, and about a gazillion marriages end in divorce every year, but I don’t care. When I watch a happy couple show the world their love, tears well in my eyes and my heart expands because in that moment, something utterly magical happens.

What more can I say? I love weddings, pure and simple.

Or at least I did until the thing happened.

Picture this. I’m at a beautiful, emotional, swept-up-in-it-all type of wedding. I’m sitting on an uncomfortably hard wooden pew, the scent in the air a heady mixture of flowers and polished wood. The late-afternoon light filters through the ornate stained glass windows, illuminating the beautiful bride and her handsome groom.

So far, so wonderful.

As I watch the bride, dressed in the most beautiful vintage fifties wedding dress I’ve seen—nipped in at the waist, showing off all her curves to (classy) perfection—her Norse god-like husband-to-be reaches out and takes her hands in his. They gaze at one another, their faces alight with a love so real, I can almost reach out and touch it.

Which I don’t, of course. That would be weird.

Instead, I turn and smile at my boyfriend, my hand over my heart. Andrew glances at me briefly before he returns his attention to the vows.

“Bailey. I love you more than I could ever imagine loving anyone. You are my life, my soul. Reflected in your eyes, I am a better man. Thank you.” Ryan’s voice, a.k.a. the voice of Thor, the Norse god, cracks with emotion, and half the congregation—all the women and probably most of the men, although I bet they would never admit it—reach for their tissues.

I open my clutch and pull out a Kleenex. I dab at my eyes and glance once more at Andrew. Noticing his brows knitted together, I smile, embarrassed. “What Ryan said?” I whisper, my voice trembling. “So, so perfect.”

“Yeah, it was all right, I guess. If you go in for that sort of crap,” Andrew replies, crinkling his nose with distaste.

Crap? What does he mean, crap?

I open my mouth to ask, but now isn’t the time. Bailey has begun her own vows, her voice so heavy with emotion, I’m amazed any of us can make out a single word. I think she’s saying something about Ryan being her best friend, and how he’s helped her become the vermin she is. No, wait. That would be how he’s helped her become the woman she is. Yes, that sounds much more appropriate and wedding-y.

The problem is, I’m so busy trying to work out what’s going on with my boyfriend, I’ve lost all focus on the ceremony unfolding before my eyes. Sure, I know he’s not the most romantic of souls, but even a rugby-playing, one-of-the-guys, rugged type like Andrew can see how much these two love each other, right? I mean, he’s not a freaking robot.

I nudge him in the ribs. “You okay?”

“Yup. Fine.” His words are clipped, and he keeps his eyes trained on the couple at the altar.

And then it hits me. I know what’s going on here! He’s being swept away by the beauty of it all, too, only he wants to appear all manly and stoic. He’s pretending to be grumpy to cover it up. Guys pull dumb stuff like that all the time. I should know; I’ve dated a few.

A few too many, actually.

I lean closer to him and place my hand on his. “I think it’s wonderful. They love each other so much.”

Andrew harrumphs in response.

I pat his hand knowingly. “It’s okay, honey. I know you feel it, too.” I settle back into my seat, prepared once more to be tangled up in the love emanating from the soon-to-be-wed couple, when I notice a girl in the aisle opposite us turn and smile. She’s wearing an eye-catching red dress that leaves little to the imagination. It’s totally inappropriate for a wedding, in my opinion, but she’s rocking it, that’s for sure. I smile back at her and wonder how I know her. Maybe she’s a customer at the Cozy Cottage Café? I’ve worked there for a few years now, and I often see our regulars out and about in the city.

Her face flushes and she looks away.

Weird.

And then it happens again.

“Who’s she?” I whisper to Andrew.

“Who?”

“The girl in the red dress. She keeps smiling at me, and I can’t think who she is.”

“Oh, err . . . Cindy, I think? Or Sandy? Something like that. We met her at that karaoke bar you love so much,” Andrew replies.

“Jojo’s? Really? I don’t remember.” I give his hand another squeeze and return my attention to the wedding.

“—the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the priest exclaims. “You may kiss!”

As Bailey and Ryan do precisely that, the congregation erupts into applause. Swept up in the sheer romance of the moment, I go out on a limb. Not because I’m “there” with Andrew yet exactly, more because, well, we could be. Some day. I put my hand on his arm and whisper, “Who knows? Maybe, one day, we’ll fall in love like them?”

He whips his head in my direction, and I pull back in shock. “We’ll do what?”

Less sure now, I reply, “Fall in love . . .?”

Yeah, I’m persisting with the lunacy. What can I do? I’m committed. I need to follow through. But really, is it such an outrageous idea my boyfriend could fall in love with me?

“Some day?” His brows knit together, almost forming a perfect mono-brow. It’s not a great look, I’ve got to say.

“Well, not now. Obviously,” I say hastily in a weak attempt to backtrack. “We’ve only been dating for a couple of months. But some day. You know, in the future.” When all he does is gawp at me, those brows of his threatening to meet permanently in the middle, I add, “In the distant future, far, far away, when little green men rule the Earth and we have robots to do the dishes.”

Little green men? Robots? Dishes? What the heck am I talking about?

Author Bio:

Visit kateokeeffe.com and sign up to her newsletter so you never miss out on new releases and great book deals again! Follow her on Bookbub to learn about deals on her books. Just cut and paste this link into your browser: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-o-keeffe

Kate O'Keeffe is a bestselling author of fun, feel-good romantic comedies. She lives and loves in beautiful Hawke's Bay, New Zealand with her family, two scruffy dogs, and a cat who thinks he's a scruffy dog too. He's not: he's a cat. When she's not penning her latest story, Kate can be found hiking up hills (slowly), traveling to different countries, and eating chocolate. A lot of it.

Kate is excited to announce her new series High Tea! It's a spin-off from the bestselling Cozy Cottage Café series, and Book 1 is currently on pre-order, due to be released on September 5th, 2019!

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