Spotlight: What Happened to Coco by VB Furlong

Publication date: December 4th 2021
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult

Synopsis:

When a girl disappears, long-buried secrets resurface…

Coco is missing. Her room’s a mess, and her phone is left behind in her dorm at Lainsbury Hall School

Ella, Coco’s childhood best friend, is desperate for her to return, although she knows that if she ever sees Coco again, there’ll be a lot of explaining to do.

Bea knows that her new group of friends attracts drama, and she thinks she has the last shred of common sense between them all. Only, if that was true, she would leave Genevieve, her toxic ex, well alone.

Conrad is confident that Coco will return safe and well. Only, the way his secrets are unravelling, he’s worried he won’t be when this is all over.

Harrison and Coco are the perfect couple. Everyone knows that. But looks can be misleading. Even the smartest boy in school can make a terrible mistake.

In order to navigate the web of secrets and lies that Coco leaves behind, her circle of friends needs to unravel a few of their own.

But the question remains: What happened to Coco?

Excerpt

Sat in one of the chairs before Mrs Hardy’s desk was a  young policeman. He wore a solemn expression on his  square-jawed face. His stubble was not the designer facial  hair seen on actors or models. Instead, Ella felt it gave him an  unkempt, dirty look. When she moved further into the room,  Ella scrunched her nose at the aroma of coffee and stale  cigarettes that clung to him.  

“This is officer Hobbs,” Hardy said quietly. 

“I’ll be having a short chat with you all today to find out  anything that could help us. We need to hear an exact account  of the last time you had any contact with Cordelia and any  leads you think may give an indication of where she could  be. Anything you think is relevant, please tell us now so we  can find her as soon as we can. Do you understand?” 

16

They all nodded. They were then told that they were to go  into an adjoining meeting room separately. Ella was called  first, and she felt her friends’ eyes on her back as she shuffled  into the office. She was afraid, of what she wasn’t sure, maybe  of being yelled at like they did on American cop shows, of  slamming the desk and throwing curveballs at her, making her  confused and messing up. She’d seen Making a Murderer. 

She never really enjoyed true crime documentaries or  conspiracy theories, but it was hard to be friends with Coco  without being drawn into it and then listen to her ramble on  for hours about how she always thought the brother seemed  fishy, or maybe it was the maid, or about jet fuel and steel  beams as though she was both a scientist and an engineer. 

“Ella,” Hobbs said, sending a warm and inviting smile in  Ella’s direction as he held the door open for her, but his  yellowing teeth did nothing to ease her anxiety. She sat on an  old wooden chair and Hobbs swept across the room in three  swift strides. He slumped into the far comfier-looking chair  across the table from Ella. This was the room that parents were  called into, where expulsions and suspensions were issued as  last resorts, thrown at students like cannonballs in a battle. 

“So today I’m just going to ask you a couple of basic  questions about… Coco you call her, yes? I understand you  were close.” He produced a notebook and pen from his jacket. Ella nodded. 

“How would you describe your relationship with her?” “She’s been my best friend since we were five.” “I see.” He nodded. “And is she known for being a  bit...reckless? Does she always follow rules?” 

“She’s careful. She wouldn’t go out at night without her  phone and tell no one where she was,” Ella said, knowing to  keep everything simple. Only answer the question asked, she  thought, remembering again all those horrifying  documentaries that followed people who were locked up for  ten years for a crime they didn’t commit. 

“She’s been found running around the school late at night  with a Harrison Fletcher, though, hasn’t she?” 

“Yeah, in school, accompanied by her boyfriend. Never  17

outside, never alone. Never without her phone. We’d always  known when she had done that too. She would tell us or post  every second online like usual. She didn’t do that last night  though, did she?” 

“Did she mention anywhere she would want to go? Any  parties? Maybe a secret boyfriend nearby?” 

Ella bit back an unwelcome desire to laugh. “She barely  keeps her tongue out of Harrison’s mouth for longer than two  minutes as it is. She has no time to have a secret boyfriend.  She goes to lessons, hangs out with us, or Harrison, and goes  to bed. The five of us are nearly always together.” 

“Okay…” he said, somewhat distracted as he scribbled  away into his official-looking notebook. Ella wondered what  she could have said to spur so much movement.

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About the Author

VB Furlong is a trainee lawyer and writer of young adult novels living in Berkshire, UK. She wrote her first “novel” at aged ten and has not stopped since then. Through her writing she aims to explore many of the issues she faced herself growing up, in the hopes that others facing the same issues feel some solidarity. Her friendships are a huge part of her life and consequently is a major theme in her writing, exploring the way in which we interact with each other, especially in difficult times.

Originally from Mumbles, Swansea, VB Furlong enjoys the sun and the sea, and walking her three dogs across the cliffs. These walks have offered her inspiration for many pieces of writing, including What Happened to Coco which she is excited to introduce as a coming of age boarding school thriller.

Connect:

https://www.instagram.com/vbfurlong/

https://twitter.com/vbfurlong

https://www.vbfurlongauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/vbfurlong/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21892655.VB_Furlong

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Spotlight: One Christmas Wish by Brenda Jackson

Publication Date: October 26, 2021

Publisher: HQN Books

It’s Christmas in Catalina Cove, a time of promise and second chances. But when you’re starting over, love is the last thing you’re wishing for…

Vaughn Miller’s Wall Street career was abruptly ended by a wrongful conviction and two years in prison. Since then, he’s returned to his hometown, kept his head down and forged a way forward. When he is exonerated and his name cleared, he feels he can hold his head up once again, maybe even talk to the beautiful café owner who sets his blood to simmering.

Sierra Crane escaped a disastrous marriage—barely. She and her six-year-old goddaughter have returned to the only place that feels like home. Determined to make it on her own, Sierra opens a soup café. Complication is the last thing she needs, but the moment Vaughn walks into her café, she can’t keep her eyes off the smoldering loner.

When they give in to their attraction, what Sierra thought would be a onetime thing becomes so much more. Vaughn knows she’s the one. Sierra can’t deny the way Vaughn makes her feel, but she’s been burned before. With Christmas approaching, Vaughn takes a chance to prove his love, and it will be up to Sierra to decide if her one Christmas wish—true happiness—will come true.

Excerpt

1

SIERRA CRANE CRINGED every time her ex-husband called. Their marriage had ended almost two years ago, so why couldn’t he get on with his life the way she had gotten on with hers? She hadn’t heard from him since the divorce and now this was the second phone call in a month.

And why did he always manage to call her at the worst time? The dinner crowd was arriving at her soup café, the Green Fig, and she was short a waitress tonight. The last thing she needed to be doing was talking on the phone to her ex.

“What is it now, Nathan?” she asked, trying to keep her voice low to avoid being overheard by the customers coming in.

“You know what I want, Sierra. We rushed into our divorce and I want a reconciliation. We didn’t even seek counseling.”

She rolled her eyes. It wasn’t as if counseling would have helped their marriage. She had put up with things for as long as she could, and had to remove herself from that toxic environment. His infidelity had been the last straw, and then there had been his total lack of sensitivity when her best friend Rhonda Andrews was dying.

“Why are we even discussing this, Nathan? You know as well as I do that no amount of counseling would have helped our marriage. You betrayed me. I caught you in the act. Look, I’m busy,” she said when she saw customers waiting to be seated. “And do me a favor and don’t call back. Our divorce is final, and I intend for it to stay that way. Goodbye.” She clicked off the phone and, for good measure, she blocked his number.

Moving from behind the counter, she assisted her staff in seating customers and taking orders. It was an hour later when the dinner rush had ended that she found the time to go into her office and work on tomorrow’s menu. The monitor screen on her desk was connected to a video camera showing the perimeters of the dining area. If she was needed to assist her staff again, she would know it.

She sat in the chair behind her desk thinking about Nathan’s call. The nerve of him thinking they could get back together. Not only had he cheated on her but he had resented all the trips she’d taken from Chicago to Houston to spend time with Rhonda in her final days. It hadn’t mattered to him that Rhonda was terminally ill and there had been so much to do and so little time left.

The main focus had been the well-being of Rhonda’s four-year-old daughter, Teryn, who’d lost her father two years earlier in Afghanistan. Without family on both sides, Sierra was Teryn’s godmother and Rhonda had made Sierra promise to take care of Teryn when the time came. Nathan, who’d never wanted children, had been resentful of that, too.

It had been one of those weekends she’d visited Rhonda in Houston and she’d returned home early to find another couple, namely her neighbors, in bed with her husband. That’s when she’d found out about his swinging lifestyle. He’d confessed it was something he had tried during his college days but thought he had put behind him...until he had discovered their new neighbors had enjoyed doing that sort of thing.

When Sierra had filed for divorce, Nathan assumed if he kept sending her flowers, calling her all the time, and showing up unexpectedly at her new residence with chocolates, designer purses and jewelry, he could wear down her resistance and she would call off the divorce. He finally saw that wasn’t happening.

An hour later Sierra left her office to return to the dining area. It was time for her only waitress on the floor tonight to take her break. Sierra had just stepped behind the counter when the sound of the bell above the door alerted her that she had a customer.

The Green Fig, which served lunch and dinner Mondays through Fridays, had been open for business for only a year. The restaurant closed every night at eight. Most of her customers were locals who’d known her grandmother and were happy that Ella Crane had passed her delicious soup recipes on to her granddaughter.

Sierra had a good staff. She’d hired Emma, who’d been a friend of her mother’s for years, as head cook and Maxine, who’d graduated from the New Orleans cooking school last year, as Emma’s assistant. Normally there were two waitresses, Iris and Opal, who handled the dining room, and Sherri took care of the take-out orders. On any given day there were more take-out orders than sit-down orders, especially during lunch.

She’d hired Levi Canady as the assistant manager. An ex-cop who’d retired early from the force due to an injury, he was also a good friend of Sierra’s father from their elementary school days. Levi was a godsend and would take over for Sierra whenever Teryn came home from school. He managed the restaurant every night except on Wednesdays. He also opened and closed for her on Saturdays, when the restaurant was open only for lunch. Whenever Teryn had gymnastics practice Sierra would help out in the café until she got home. Today was one of those days.

Sierra glanced at the door and saw Vaughn Miller walk in, dressed in a business suit. On any other man the outfit would probably look like just regular professional attire, but on him it appeared tailor-made. He was a very handsome man and looking good in anything he wore was just part of who he was.

Sierra didn’t know Vaughn personally, although they had both been born in Catalina Cove and had attended the same schools. She hadn’t had the right pedigree to be in his social circles since his family had been one of the wealthiest in town. They had come from old money, probably as old as it could get in the cove when you were a descendant of the town’s founder.

When Vaughn Miller took a seat at one of the booths, she grabbed a menu out of the rack and headed to his table. He’d come in once or twice before, but it had always been for takeout. It appeared that today he intended to dine in.

“Welcome to the Green Fig.”

He looked up when she handed him the menu. “Thanks.”

This was the closest she had ever been to Vaughn Miller and she couldn’t help noticing things she hadn’t seen from a distance. Like the beautiful hazel coloring of his eyes. He had sharp cheekbones and she liked the way his nose was the perfect size for his face and the full lips beneath it. And speaking of lips...did his have to be of such sensual perfection? And then she couldn’t miss the light beard that covered his lower jaw and how it enhanced those lips but didn’t hide the dimple in his chin.

Vaughn’s skin was a maple brown and he wore his thick black hair long. It wasn’t down past his shoulders like Kaegan Chambray’s, but it was long enough to touch his collar. To her the long and tousled hairstyle did much to highlight his French Creole ancestry.

The Creoles derived from free people of color from Africa, France and Spain, as well as other mixed-heritage descendants. Those blended races and cultures were a large population of Louisiana, and more specifically, New Orleans, Catalina Cove and other surrounding cities.

Sierra had to concur with the feminine whispers around town that Vaughn Miller was a very handsome man and a sharp dresser, yet she noted he had a definite rugged masculine appeal. Even dressed nicely in a suit, all you had to do was add a tricorne hat on his head and a loop earring in his ear and he would instantly become a dashing pirate. A look that no doubt would make his great-great-great-great-grandfather, the cove’s founder, Jean Lafitte, proud.

She knew six years ago he’d been sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Three months ago, articles appeared in numerous newspapers reporting on his exoneration and how those who were guilty had been brought to justice. He had been cleared of all charges.

“What’s the special for today?”

She blinked upon realizing she’d been standing there staring at him the entire time. Clearing her throat, she said, “Today’s special is the broccoli and cheese soup and it’s served with a half sandwich. Turkey or chicken.”

He smiled up at her and that smile made his features even more beguiling and clearly showed that dimple in his chin. “That sounds good. I’d like a bowl with a chicken sandwich.”

She wrote his order down on the pad and noticed his French accent. She recalled overhearing her parents say that his mother had been French and his father mixed French and African American, and that French had been the primary language spoken in the Miller household. She also remembered hearing while growing up he would spend his summers in France as well with his grandparents. That was probably the reason the accent was still strong after all this time.

“What would you like to drink?”

“Brown ale.”

Sierra nodded. “Okay, I’ll put in your order and get your ale.”

“Thanks.”

She turned and walked toward the kitchen. When she knew she was out of his sight and that of customers and staff, she fanned herself with the menu. Vaughn Miller had definitely made every hormone in her body sizzle.

One Christmas Wish by Brenda Jackson. Copyright © 2021 by Brenda Streater Jackson. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Hardcover | Mass Market Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Brenda Jackson is a New York Times bestselling author of more than one hundred romance titles. Brenda lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and divides her time between family, writing and traveling.

Connect:

Author Website

Facebook: @BrendaJacksonAuthor

Twitter: @AuthorBJackson

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Spotlight: Accidentally In Love by Danica Flynn

(MacGregor Brothers Brewing Company, #1)
Publication date: December 7th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

Synopsis:

At thirty-five and single, I’m tired of the dating game. Tired of men who look at me and say, “You’d be prettier if you shed a few pounds.”

There’s only one man I want a future with — my grouchy friends with bene fits, Nolan. But he’s adamant about keeping things casual.

All that changes when one night we get careless, and those pink lines show up on the pregnancy test months later.

Nolan wants to do right by me. He wants to give me what I’ve been searching for, but I’m pretty sure he’s only doing it out of obligation. It’s not like the bearded brewmaster loves me like I love him.

Excerpt

“Are you sure you don’t have the flu or something?” Gemma asked from across the kitchen table, stirring her burrito bowl in thought.

Gemma lived in South Philly, but commuted to the brewery in Drakesville. When we could, we’d have dinner together before her shift. I tried to cancel tonight, but she insisted. My sister could be needy.

I shrugged and pushed my untouched bowl of food out of the way. I had zero appetite tonight.

“PMS?” she asked.

I stared back at her in silence.

“Avs, when did you last get your period?”

“Not since before the Arts Fest,” I admitted in a low whisper.

Her eyes turned to saucers. “That was two months ago!”

I cringed. “Maybe it’s stress?”

Gemma looked horrified.

When Gemma was in college, she had a pregnancy scare, and I drove all the way up to State College to be with her. She didn’t want kids, and an unplanned pregnancy hadn’t been in the cards. She ended up not being pregnant and got her period the next day, but to this day, she always was stressed if it was late. If Gemma had been in my shoes, she wouldn’t have ignored the signs. She would have taken a pregnancy test the day her period was late.

She stood up and put on her coat.

I furrowed my brow at her. “Where are you going?”

She glared at me. “Going to the pharmacy to get a pregnancy test.”

Before I could argue, she ran down the steps and out of my apartment. I cringed at my door slamming shut behind her.

Gemma was gone for maybe fifteen minutes before she clomped back up the steps and waved a bag of pregnancy tests in my face.

“Come on, let’s take these,” she said and led me into my bathroom.

Ten minutes later, we stared down at the third and final pregnancy test and waited for the results. The first two tests were positive, so I didn’t have a good feeling about this one. I knew I was pregnant before those pink lines showed up on the first test, but I didn’t want to accept it. I ignored what my body told me and tried to will the pregnancy away. I had even been avoiding Nolan because if I had seen him, I would have burst into tears and told him everything.

My timer chimed, and I handed the testing stick to my sister. “Please look. I can’t.”

She gave me a sympathetic smile. “Oh, Avs,” she cooed and squeezed my hand in comfort.

“I’m pregnant, aren’t I?” I sobbed.

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About the Author

Danica Flynn is a marketer by day, and a writer by nights and weekends. AKA she doesn’t sleep! She is a rabid hockey fan of both The Philadelphia Flyers and the Metropolitan Riveters. When not writing, she can be found hanging with her partner, playing video games, and reading a ton of books.

Connect:

https://www.instagram.com/danicaflynnauthor/

https://danicaflynn.com/

https://twitter.com/DanicaFlynn10

https://www.amazon.com/Danica-Flynn/e/B081DLYH2K

https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFlynnAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/groups/DanicasRomantics/

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19728384.Danica_Flynn

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Spotlight: Holiday Playbook by Yahrah St John

Series: Locketts of Tuxedo Park, Book 3
Publisher: Harlequin Desire
Publication Date: November 30, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance

A meeting of business minds under the mistletoe?

All marketing executive Giana Lockett wants for Christmas is to land an endorsement deal with Wynn Starks’s sports drink company. It’s tough being the baby girl in a family of alpha men, and this will finally prove her worth to the Locketts’ football dynasty. Also tough? Securing a meeting with Atlanta’s most elusive billionaire. Giana’s not giving up, and once she makes contact, the prize gets closer…and so does Wynn’s bed. The chemistry between her and Wynn is hot. But business is business, until pleasure changes all the rules…

Excerpt

Wynn stared at her lips for what seemed like an eternity before he leaned in to brush his mouth across hers. The kiss was featherlight considering the rampant tension between them, so Giana leaned closer for more. Their lips met again, and this time the kiss turned incendiary, causing adrenaline to surge through her veins.

Giana’s lips parted in an unspoken invitation, allowing Wynn inside. His tongue slid between her lips, tangling with hers, and Giana moaned. The kiss obliterated rational thought, and Giana forgot time and space. Instead, she exulted in his drugging kisses and craved the satisfaction his mouth could give. Wynn understood, because instinctively, he deepened the kiss. Giana clasped her hands around the back of his head for a better fit.

What was it that made Wynn’s kiss different from other men’s? It wasn’t just a matter of technique, although Wynn knew exactly how to use his mouth, tongue and teeth. It was the passion, the all-consuming hunger, and Giana couldn’t do anything but grip his bulging biceps and hang on for the ride.

Wynn stirred her to a fever pitch, making Giana ache. When his knee nudged her legs apart so he could settle himself between them, her sluggish brain allowed it. That’s when she felt the press of his arousal against her, and her belly clenched in response. He moved his hands upward to cup the weight of her breasts in his palms. He gently squeezed the flesh, making her nipples tighten and causing a tumult of sensations to rush through her.

Giana was panting by the time Wynn wrenched his mouth away. His eyes blazed down at her as he brushed some wayward strands of her hair from her forehead. “I want you, Giana.” His voice had a sexy rasp that made her heart flutter.

“I want you too.”

That’s when his hands left her breasts and began moving downward while his lips trailed kisses down her ear to her neck. That’s where he stayed, causing Giana to clasp his lapels. Then she felt cool air against her legs. Wynn was lifting her dress and caressing her legs, steadily moving his fingers upward toward the soft flesh of her thighs.

“Part your legs for me, Giana,” Wynn whispered in her ear.

Giana closed her eyes. She couldn’t believe she was making out with Wynn in the elevator, but she did as he asked and shuddered when his hands slipped between her legs. “I—we—shouldn’t…”

“Oh, this tells me we should,” he murmured as he parted her folds and found her drenched. His mouth returned to hers while his hand continued with the most devastating intimate exploration Giana ever endured. She tried to fight the feelings, but it was a futile effort. Wynn’s touch was skillful, and her whole body stiffened as a powerful climax overtook her.

“Wynn!” she cried out as she came and convulsed against his hand.

When the shudders finally subsided, he murmured, “You’re incredible, Giana. I have a room upstairs because I didn’t want to drink and drive. When we get there, I can make love to you properly.”

Giana felt as if he’d poured a bucket of ice water over her head as she came down from her high and realized the mistake she’d made.

She was thankful the elevator lurched downward then, and the lights flickered on, because it allowed her a few precious seconds to smooth down her dress and hair before the elevator doors pinged open. A technician was there, but Giana didn’t even look at him as she rushed out of the car, through the lobby and out into the night air.

She jumped in the first taxi she saw. “Go. Go. Go!” she yelled. She had to get away from the scene of the crime as soon as possible.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Mass Market Paperback

About the Author

Yahrah St. John became a writer at the age of twelve when she wrote her first novella after secretly reading a Harlequin romance. Throughout her teens, she penned a total of twenty novellas. Her love of the craft continued into adulthood. She’s the proud author of thirty-nine books with Arabesque, Kimani Romance and Harlequin Desire as well as her own indie works.  

When she’s not at home crafting one of her spicy romances with compelling heroes and feisty heroines with a dash of family drama, she is gourmet cooking or traveling the globe seeking out her next adventure. For more info: www.yahrahstjohn.com or find her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Bookbub or Goodreads.

Connect: AUTHOR SITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | YOUTUBE | BOOKBUB | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE 

Cover Reveal: Merry Misfits by Cambria Hebert

Cover Designer: Cover Me Darling
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Holiday novella, Romance, series
Release Date: December 10th

Synopsis:

Once upon a time…
A lost prince was robbed of the magic of the holiday season.
Ribbons, glitter, tree-trimming, and love all denied for hateful reasons.
What once was lost is now wondrously found.
And, naturally, holiday shenanigans will abound.
New York City is blanketed in pure white snow,
the perfect date night setting to make your heart grow.
Beneath the twinkling lights, the scent of fresh pine mingles,
and the warmth of chocolate-filled mugs chase away any grinchy-grinch tingles.
Zip up your coat and tug on your hat
because spending this holiday season with your favorite misfits is where it’s at.
For even the grumpiest grump of the bunch will have to admit
‘tis the season to be a merry misfit.

Experience the magic of New York City at Christmas with Fletcher and the rest of the misfit family as they create family traditions and memories through special dates and holiday fun.
Be prepared for lots of fluff, laughter, grumbling grumps, swoony romance, and surprises!
Merry Misfits is a special House of Misfits holiday novella featuring the entire misfit family
and is told in alternating POVs from some of your favorites.
Merry Misfits is approximately 48,000 words and is book five in the series.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

About the Author

Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.

Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).

Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.

Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her website: http://www.cambriahebert.com.
Email: cambriahebert@rocketmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cambriahebertbooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cambriahebert
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Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5298677.Cambria_Hebert

Spotlight: Heart Of Gold by Quinn Coleridge

Publication date: November 19th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Workaholic attorney Simon Phillips negotiates multi-million dollar deals in the tech world, but he’s secretly falling apart. With an ulcer, insomnia, and a growing dependence on alcohol, Simon conceals his dark side from the other partners at his firm, until the day he wakes up on a bathroom floor in his good Tom Ford suit, smelling of Jose Cuervo. Simon barely remembers his intoxicated rant from the night before, but it lands him with a forced leave of absence and two months of community service.

After choosing to perform his service at an obscure nonprofit medical clinic, Simon meets Dr. Kate Spencer. A dedicated physician and widow at twenty-eight, Kate knows how painful love can be, and she doesn’t trust workaholic lawyers. Especially ones with cool blue eyes and a history of breaking hearts.

Yet a rocky friendship develops between these two world-weary souls, and when dangers from Kate’s past emerge, somehow Simon is the one standing at her side.

Can love help them heal? Or will they miss their chance at happiness?

Excerpt

Life was good twenty-four hours ago.

Was being the key word. Past tense.

Simon Phillips knew this in his gut. Just as he knew everything since then had gone to hell somehow. 

Where am I? What happened? His muscles felt stiff where they rested on a hard, cold surface of some kind. Blinking rapidly, Simon opened his eyes against the blinding light overhead and inhaled a cinnamon sugar scent, thinking suddenly of the snickerdoodle cookies his grandmother had baked years ago. He detected something else as well. 

Is that tequila? 

The floor gleamed white beneath him. Simon recognized the Carrara marble and realized with sudden horror that he was in the executive bathroom at his law firm. While his brain urgently told him to move, his motor skills struggled to obey. The room spun when Simon finally pulled himself to his knees. He exhaled slowly and noticed the snickerdoodle-impersonating air freshener attached to the wall. More surprising still, the essence of Jose Cuervo clung to him like cheap cologne. 

Leaning his head against a nearby sink, Simon tried to remember. What’s with the booze? And why am I on the floor in my Tom Ford suit? 

Then, through the mental fog, the memories came flooding back in gruesome Technicolor. It can’t be true. 

Except that it was. 

“Shoot me now,” Simon muttered. “I’m as good as dead anyway.” 

Leonard Cronin walked through the door at that moment. “Would that I could oblige you but there are laws against that type of thing.” 

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About the Author

Quinn Coleridge grew up in the Pacific Northwest where she learned to love rain storms and reading by a crackling fire. She wrote often in a variety of genres, studied literature as an adult, and created a humor column for a small town paper. Since moving to the desert with her husband and kids, Quinn doesn't use her fireplace much these days, but she still loves books.

Connect:

https://www.authorquinncoleridge.com/

https://www.facebook.com/quinn.coleridge

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16881075.Quinn_Coleridge

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