Thursday, November 15, 2018

Blog Tour, Excerpt, Giveaway & Review! The Christmas Layover by Robert Tate Miller

Meet the Author

Robert Tate Miller was raised in the North Carolina mountain town of Hendersonville and began writing at an early age. He began his writing career with homespun essays of small town life that were published in such publications as Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor and the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1980s and wrote hugely successful family-oriented telefilms for NBC, ABC Family and the Hallmark Channel. Robert lives in Northridge, CA..

Connect: Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

About the Book

Title:  The Christmas Layover
Author:  Robert Tate Miller
Publisher/
Publication Date: Entangled Bliss; November 12, 2018
Format/Source: E-ARC; Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Contemporary Romance

The weather forecasters said the snowstorm would miss the eastern seaboard. They were wrong. When Ally Henderson’s flight from Southern California to finally marry her fiancĂ© in New York City on Christmas gets diverted to the tiny Midwestern town of Bethlehem, she’s desperate to get back in the air and to the Big Apple. But with all the airports closed, she’s forced to rely on Midwestern hospitality to wait out the storm. 


Living with a welcoming stranger is one way to spend a snowed-in Christmas, but when she meets the local diner owner, the kindhearted and surprisingly sexy Jake, sparks fly. Only, Ally’s a big-city girl with big-city dreams, and Jake will always be a Bethlehem boy.


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Excerpt

“Let me get this straight,” Ally said. “You sneak over here every December 22nd and build a snowman in the yard?”


“Pretty much,” Jake said. “Each year I have to wait a little longer because Maddie’s bedtime keeps getting later.”


“But what if there’s no snow?”


“Yeah, we did have that problem a couple of years ago. Luckily, I have a buddy who works at Echo Mountain Ski Resort. I drove two hours one-way to load up my pickup with manmade snow. Had more than I needed, so I spread the rest in the yard.”

Ally smiled. How sweet that he would go to all that trouble.

“Does Maddie know you’re the culprit?” Ally asked.

“She pretends she doesn’t,” Jake said. “Though I did catch her peeking out the window one night several years back. To be honest, I think she enjoys the fantasy more than the reality.”

“Don’t we all?” Ally said. “So,” she added, “let’s get started.”

Jake swung open the gate. “I like your attitude.”

He retrieved a canvas bag of supplies that he kept hidden beneath the porch steps, explaining that he stowed the bag at his sister’s so that he’d have the materials on hand year in and year out when he stole over in the night to do this snowman-building deed. As she worked side-by-side with Jake constructing the surprise snowman, Ally noticed that he seemed a bit chattier than usual. She liked it. He was getting more comfortable with her.

“So anyway,” Jake said, “when this all started, Maddie was into Bob the Builder. That’s why she named him Snowman Bob. One year, I put one of Mom’s wigs on him just to test that, and she still called him Snowman Bob.” Ally laughed as she packed some icy snow onto Bob’s mid- section. “Been doing it every year since she was four. And, tomorrow morning, she’ll wake up, remember what day it is, run outside and...here he’ll be.” Ally stepped back and took in their joint venture. They’d been at it for about a half hour, and she thought they’d done a pretty fair job.

“I bet this one’s the best yet,” she said.“Yeah,” Jake said. “And it’s all because of you.” “Oh really?” Ally asked. “Are you patronizing me?”

“Maybe a little,” Jake said.

“Well, that won’t do.” Ally picked up a clump of snow and flung it at him. “That’s what you get.”

“Oh, it’s on now!” Jake said. He went to retaliate, quickly packing some frozen snow into a ball, while Ally worked furiously to beat him to the punch. Ally’s shrieking laughter echoed down the street, bouncing off the houses.

“You’re going to wake the whole neighborhood,” Jake teased.

“It’s your fault,” she said. She picked up another handful of snow and plopped it on his head, then let out another cackle of laughter that reverberated down the block.

“Nice,” Jake said. “Real nice. How would you like it down your back?” Jake grabbed a chunk of ice.

“Don’t you dare!” Ally said. She made a halfhearted attempt to avoid capture, but Jake grabbed her around the waist as Ally laughed so hard she could barely catch her breath. “Jake, you’d better not! Ahhh! That’s cold!” Jake managed to slip a chunk of ice down her collar, and Ally felt the freezing cold against her bare skin. As she squirmed trying to dislodge it, Ally realized that, for the moment, at least, her troubles were miles away. She felt girlish and euphoric. So, this is what fun feels like, she thought.

The snow battle lasted no more than a couple of minutes, but Ally felt like she’d had a real workout. If there had been ringside judges, she felt she would have held her own, gotten a split decision at the very least. Jake had just as much snow on him as she did.

The bout ended like some clichĂ©d romantic comedy with the participants tumbling into the snow, Jake ending up on top of her, looking down into her face, which Ally could feel was pink with flush. Her head rested on the firm snow, and she could feel the cold on her exposed neck. They were both laughing and breathing hard, and then Ally realized they were all alone and face-to-face. She felt calm and happy as she looked up into his sea-blue eyes. He’s got specks of brown in his pupils, she thought. She also picked out a few light freckles high on his cheeks that she hadn’t seen before.

His eyes were locked on hers, searching. She could sense him wanting to kiss her, and she felt a sudden warmth rush through her. Ally recognized it instantly. Desire. She wanted that kiss, wanted his lips on hers. She wanted to reach up and grab him by the lapel and pull him down to her, but, instead, she waited. It was his move.


My Thoughts

In The Christmas Layover, Robert Tate Miller did an amazing job of depicting the magic of the Christmas season. The strategic names of people and places such as Noel and Bethlehem respectively, the heartbreak, the newly formed friendships, the fresh fallen snow, and the holiday baking with family and friends added to the Christmas magic. I also loved the depiction of the close-knit community members who supported Jake and Ally as they struggled with their pasts and feelings for one another. All of these elements helped set the tone of the story. And needless to say, I was hooked from page one. It was simply the most heartwarming Christmas story I’ve read this year!

I’d definitely recommend this book to readers looking for their next holiday read.

Rating: 5/5


I received a copy of this book from the publisher for this review.




Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card

Monday, October 1, 2018

Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway! Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis

ABOUT JILL SHALVIS

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.


Connect with Jill

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Title:  Hot Winter Nights (Heartbreaker Bay Novel, #6)
Author:  Jill Shalvis
Publisher/Publication Date:  Avon Books; September 25, 2018
Format/Source:  Paperback; Publisher
Genre: Contemporary Romance

BUY LINKS for HOT WINTER NIGHTS



ABOUT HOT WINTER NIGHTS (a standalone Heartbreaker Bay novel)
Who needs mistletoe?

Most people wouldn’t think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn’t most people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she’s been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that—but Molly just wants to enjoy being a little naughty for once . . .

Whiskey and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don’t mix. Lucas needs to remember that next time he’s shot on the job, which may be sooner rather than later if Molly’s brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can’t believe he’s drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with Molly, who’s the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he’s ever known. Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he’s been assigned to babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart this Christmas.

EXCERPT

It took Lucas Knight longer than it should have to realize he had a woman in his bed, but to be fair, he had a bitch of a hangover. Even worse than that, last night was a blur, prompting him to take quick stock. One, there was a bundle of sweet, soft curves against him. Two, his head was currently threatening to secede from the United States Of Lucas. And three, his side hurt like … well, like he’d been shot.
It’d been two weeks since he’d gotten caught in some crossfire on the job and he hadn’t yet been cleared for more than light duty – something he’d obviously managed to ignore last night given that he was palming a nice, warm, feminine ass.
Think, man.
Straining his brain, he remembered taking a pain med before going to O’Riley’s Pub to meet up with some friends. A client had been there, someone he’d recently helped save from a multi-million dollar corporate espionage. The guy had ordered shots to toast to Lucas and … shit. Knowing better than to mix pain meds and alcohol, he’d hesitated, but everyone had been waiting on him, glasses hoisted in the air. Thinking just one shot couldn’t hurt anything, he’d knocked back the drink.
Clearly, he’d been wrong and it’d been enough to mess him up big time, something he hadn’t been in years, not since his brother Josh had been killed. Shoving that away for another time – or never -- Lucas cracked open one eye, but when his retina was stabbed by a streak of sunlight glaring in through the window, he immediately slammed it shut it again. Taking a deep breath, he told himself to suck it up and opened both eyes this time, learning two additional facts.
He was naked and completely uncovered.
And the woman snugged up at his side was rolled up in his comforter like a burrito.
What. The. Hell.

MY THOUGHTS

It’s October 1, 2018. The weather has started to cool down, and now is the time for me to start reading those holiday themed books.

My first pick for this time of year is Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis. It’s a contemporary romance novel with the case of a bad Santa. Christmastime is my favorite time of year, so this was the perfect book to kick off the season of holiday reading.   

I absolutely loved Hot Winter Nights. It’s the sixth book of the Heartbreaker Bay series. In Hot Winter Nights, Shalvis presents the story of Molly and Lucas who both work at the same private investigation firm. Molly is intent on conducting investigations, but she struggles with an overbearing brother and boss. When Lucas is assigned to protect her as she takes on her first case (the case of the bad Santa), I like how sensible he is when dealing with her and her brother. His actions throughout were simply swoon-worthy as he fought for her love and encouraged others to give Molly the respect that she deserved. Molly was the type of heroine that didn’t let anyone or anything hold her back from doing the things she wanted, and I loved the fact that Lucas stood by her decisions. 

Overall, Hot Winter Nights is a sweet, smexy, suspenseful romance novel. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance who also love a touch of suspense.


Rating 4.5/5

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Enter to Win a Print Copy of Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis


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Giveaways are open to residents of the **United States & Canada Only**. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older. I maintain the right to: delete duplicate entries, disqualify those that don’t adhere to contest rules, and cancel/postpone contests.  Winners will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply with their mailing address, which will be forwarded to the publisher or another entrant will be selected.  I am not responsible for prizes that are lost or damaged in the mail. The prize will be provided by the publisher. 


Monday, September 10, 2018

Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway! The Firefighter's Pretend Fiance by Victoria James


Leaving Shadow Creek nine years ago was the hardest thing Molly Mayberry’s ever had to do…except maybe returning. She’s never regretted her choice, but a chance of a lifetime position at the local hospital means going home and facing her past, including her shrew of an estranged mother and the fiancĂ© she ran out on. Ben Matthews is still the sexy, sweet man she left behind…and apparently still her fiancĂ©.

Ben has been doggedly pursuing the position of fire chief since he was a teenager. There’s just one problem—he has to show his boss he’s ready to settle down. No matter how silly the condition, Ben will make it happen. And apparently so will his brother when he opens his mouth and decides to tell everyone Ben and Molly are engaged. Now the one woman he never stopped loving is living with him in a fake relationship, driving him crazy. Pretending only reminds him how right they were once, but if Ben gives in to the heat building between them, heartache is sure to follow.

Each book in the Shadow Creek, Montana series is STANDALONE
* Christmas with the Sheriff 
* The Baby Bombshell 
* The Doctor’s Redemption 
* Baby on the Bad Boy’s Doorstep
* The Firefighter’s Pretend Fiance

About the Book

The Firefighter’s Pretend Fiance
by Victoria James
Series
Shadow Creek, Montana Series
Genre
Adult
Contemporary Romance
Publisher
Entangled Bliss
Publication Date
September 10, 2018
Purchase Your Copy Today!
Amazon  |  Entangled Publishing  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |  iBooks

Excerpt

Prologue
Molly Mayberry knew she was living her best life.
She was twenty and had just completed her second year of med school. Some called her a genius, but she had always just thought of herself as a hard worker. She’d finished high school by the time she was fifteen and had completed her undergrad by eighteen. Not having a social life helped—except this summer, everything had changed for her. She had met a guy—no, a man—who saw her for more than just some weird, smart girl; he got her on every level.
She was going to marry Ben Matthews. They were going to have two or three children. They were going to buy a ranch house with a view of the mountains. They would raise their family in Shadow Creek, Montana, because it was idyllic, filled with old-school, American values. People greeted each other on the sidewalk, helped a neighbor in need, and believed in community.
Ben and Molly were destined to live happily ever after.
She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear and waved to Ben when she spotted him entering the fairgrounds. He was pretty easy to spot, with his height and athletic build. He was one of the town sweethearts. Their small town did like to play favorites, and he and his brother, Finn, were amongst them. Their father was the local fire chief, and both boys were following in their father’s footsteps. That seemed to add to their appeal. She knew full well that half the single female population thought of Ben and Finn as the hottest catches for miles around. She had to agree. But for some reason, gorgeous, sweet, fearless, Ben had sought her out. Though they had only been dating for three months while she was home for the summer, she knew he was her soul mate.
“Hi beautiful,” he said, shooting her that grin that made her giddy and kept her smiling as she fell asleep at night. He leaned down to give her a kiss that was respectable enough for a public display, but hinted at what she knew would come later, in private.
“Hi,” she said, still holding on to him.
He took her hand and they started walking amongst the crowds where all the food vendors had lined up alongside booths with various craft items and local artisan products. They spent the day holding hands and walking and talking and eating. He shared his pumpkin pie, and she shared her fries and gravy. He won her a giant stuffed bear at the ring toss, and they kissed on the Ferris wheel as dusk settled and enveloped them, making everything surreal.
Molly had always wanted to go to the Harvest Festival Twilight Dance, and this would be her first time attending. After many wardrobe changes, with her sisters’ approval, she’d finally settled on a navy sundress with a cropped matching cardigan and sandals. She was pretty sure Ben, who was three years older than her, had attended the dance many times before, but she wasn’t worried or insecure. He made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. He pulled her close on the makeshift dancefloor, under the umbrella of twinkling white lights and starlit sky. He smelled crisp and clean with a hint of citrus. He led them to the corner where they were partially shielded by a grouping of aspen on the outskirts of the grounds.
The teasing sparkle that she was used to seeing in his eyes changed, and he looked serious as he raised his hands to frame her face. She tried not to audibly sigh out loud. She was vaguely aware that she was naive and inexperienced compared to him, but he never made her feel that way. He made her feel like they were both incredibly in awe of each other, of this special love they’d found.
“I knew the minute you spilled your coffee on the front of my shirt outside of the library that you were special. I knew by the end of our first date that I loved you. And I know now that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know you still have years left of school, and I’m not working full time yet, but I’m yours, if you’ll have me. I haven’t got a ring yet because I want to save enough to get you the one you deserve to have. So I guess what I’m asking is—”
She didn’t wait for him to finish. She jumped into his arms and said yes. She said yes to whatever he was offering because she felt the same way. They were young, and they had their whole lives ahead of them.
He spun her around, and they laughed and kissed.
She held on to him like they would have a thousand tomorrows.
She held on to him with the belief that life would play out exactly as they wanted, like their sheltered world could protect them from the gut-wrenching heartache that the real world could lash out, without any warning.
Molly held on to Ben that night, certain nothing could ever tear them apart, certain that love could conquer all, and that the good guys always won.
Chapter One
Nine Years Later
Molly Mayberry didn’t really believe in happily ever after. What almost-thirty-year-old did?
She had grown up, was an adult, a successful pediatrician with no desire to ever get married or have a family of her own. Molly had found out how cruel life could be, how easily innocence could be ripped from a person. She knew this firsthand, and she knew this as a pediatrician who sometimes had to deliver shattering news to a parent. There was nothing that could prepare a person for sudden events or devastating medical news, which was why she had learned not to get attached to people. When you grew too attached to people you had the power to destroy them, and they could do the same to you. It was also why she’d stayed away from her hometown of Shadow Creek for nine years. She had hurt too many people there.
But now she was back to fill a one-year contract position at the new pediatric health center at their regional hospital. It was an opportunity of a lifetime. The new medical center was a state of the art, forty-million-dollar pediatric center that had attracted some of the best pediatric surgeons, oncologists, and specialists. It was desperately needed and would save thousands of children having to leave the state for specialized health care. When she was offered the position, she couldn’t have turned it down. She could handle one year in Shadow Creek before embarking on a new chapter in her life and joining Doctors Without Borders in Mexico. Coming back had never been part of her life plan but excelling at her career was. She didn’t like staying in one place too long anymore.
Her plan was not to socialize with anyone from her past. They weren’t just ghosts that haunted her in her dreams; here they were alive, and they could judge and condemn her. It was impossible to hide in a town like Shadow Creek. So far, because of her crazy work hours, she’d managed to avoid most people on her top-ten list for the last month.
No one in small towns ever forgot, and small towns never changed. Well, some things changed, she thought as she stared up at The Chocolatiers shop sign that promised chocolate and coffee.
Molly peaked through the glass door, making sure her mother wasn’t inside. Then she did a second scan to make sure the man she’d been almost engaged to—the one she’d broken up with abruptly—wasn’t in there. It had been callous, but it had been her only choice at the time. He’d never understand; no one would.
It occurred to her she might not even know what Ben looked like now. Well, she could guess. He was probably gorgeous. And married. For sure married. Running into him and his wife would be a disaster for her because she’d never gotten over him. She would think of Ben without wanting to. Sometimes she’d see a young family and there would be something about the man that would remind her of him. He’d hold out a chair for his wife, or take her hand while she was speaking, or he’d be pushing a stroller and jogging; that’s what Ben would have done. When she felt guilty, she’d wish that he’d gotten over her really quickly and found a lovely woman and had started a family. When it was really late at night and she was exhausted from work and lying in her bed, alone, she’d imagine herself with Ben. She’d imagine their house, their kids, she’d imagine him laughing and kissing her. Sometimes that was the only way she’d fall asleep. She’d imagine that nothing horrible had ever happened to her, that happily ever after had been in the cards for her. It was hard to picture that version of herself, the girl who actually wanted marriage and kids. But it was right for Ben; he would have made a great father and husband.
The door to the shop opened, and an elderly man held it for her. She smiled, the gesture forcing her back to reality. Stop thinking about Ben. Those days were long gone. They were barely adults back then. He probably hadn’t given her a second thought.
The sweet aroma of chocolate and coffee doused her senses as she stepped into the charming shop. It was already bustling despite the early morning hour. She took her place in line and continued to admire the decor and the enticing display of handmade truffles, bags of locally roasted coffee, and baked goods.
“Oh my gosh, is that you? Molly, right?” a pretty and very pregnant brunette woman said from behind the counter when it was her turn.
Molly sucked in a breath and then smiled. “Gwen Bailey! How are you?” She and Gwen had grown up together despite a slight age difference. She also knew Gwen was now married to one of her new colleagues, Dr. Luke Thomson, at the hospital.
“Great. Really great, but crazy busy,” she said with a laugh. “It’s so good to see you. Luke told me you were back in town.”
Molly smiled at her. “I am, I am. I’m happy to be here,” she said, lying like a pro.
“The new pediatrics center is gorgeous and such a blessing for the community,” Gwen said.
She nodded. As a pediatrician, it was a dream come true to work at the new facility. Being offered the position as head of the department was her crowning career achievement, especially at her age. She’d only had to sacrifice her adolescence…her dreams and entire adulthood to reach it. But she loved her career. She loved the babies, the children. “I’m really blessed to be working there. They have state-of-the-art operating and delivery rooms, and the staff have been so welcoming. Especially Luke. He’s made me feel right at home. And he talks about you and the baby nonstop,” she said with a smile.
Gwen laughed. “He’s becoming slightly unbearable, but I can’t complain. He’s already said you’re the best around, and when this little baby decides to make her appearance, you’re the only one he’s trusting as our pediatrician.”
Molly smiled. “Well, I’d be honored.”
“He mentioned you’re also working at the new women’s shelter.”
Molly nodded again. She didn’t like getting into that too much. People thought of it as a big deal that she was visiting mothers and children who didn’t have insurance. She saw it as her duty. On some level, she thought that maybe it was therapeutic. Maybe even a penance of sorts, but she didn’t let herself dwell on that, because it had the potential to derail the life she’d put together for herself. “It’s not a big deal. I’m happy to help… I hate to cut this short, but I know you have a big lineup, and I need to get to the hospital. Could I get the largest coffee you have and maybe one of those chocolate croissants I see your husband eating all the time?”
Gwen started pouring coffee. “Coming right up! He can eat and eat and never gain a pound,” she said over her shoulder.
“It’s a guy thing. Totally unfair,” Molly said, tapping her fingers on the gleaming white marble counter.
“I know,” Gwen said with a sigh, placing a white paper bag and white takeout coffee cup on the counter.
Molly handed her the correct change and picked up her cup, aware of the long line. “Sorry to have chatted your ear off!” she said, backing up.
Gwen waved a hand as she helped the next customer. “No way. Great seeing you, Molly. Welcome home.”
“Thanks. Take care of yourself. I’ll see you soon,” Molly said, walking away. She added cream to her coffee at the far end of the marble counter, contemplating the welcome home. Home. She hadn’t thought of Shadow Creek as home in over a decade, and she wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about making it her home again. Nine years ago, everything had changed for her, including her relationship with her family. Being in Shadow Creek meant running into her mother often. Her sisters were long gone as well, and she missed them. It was for the best though; she’d hurt them.
She snapped the lid on her coffee, deep in the black hole of family problems, and didn’t even notice her mother standing in front of her. Molly inhaled sharply as she almost bumped into her. Her mother stood there, looking as though she hadn’t aged a bit, but even worse, she looked as though she hadn’t softened, either. There wasn’t an ounce of emotion in her overly made-up face. “Hello, Molly. I would have thought you would have had the courtesy to at least call me and let me know you were back in town.”
Molly wrapped her hands around her coffee cup and tried to keep her temper in check. “Hello, Mother. I’ve been busy. I believe you stopped keeping tabs on me a long time ago.”
Her mother’s eyes flashed. “I heard you were offered the prestigious position as head of pediatrics. You must be pleased with yourself. You are the youngest doctor to have ever achieved that at the hospital.”
Molly stiffened as her mother spoke. Even though it was a small town and news traveled fast, her mother knew a few too many details for her own comfort. Of course, it was always about prestige with her mother. Some things never changed. “I’m happy and honored,” she said, stepping to the side of the now-crowded bakery. She wanted out of here. It felt too loud, too noisy, too hot for her liking. “I need to get to work now.”
Her mother reached out to grasp her arm and Molly paused. “Molly, things don’t have to be this way. It pains me that you’ve distanced yourself from me.”
Molly looked away from her mother’s sharp stare. She gently withdrew her arm from her mother’s grasp. “I don’t need to be guilted. You know why I don’t call or come home. Stop pretending nothing happened. What happened will never magically go away, as much as I’d love that. It just won’t. I’m here for work and nothing else.”
Her mother pursed her lips, and Molly ignored the stab of guilt she felt. She didn’t need this. It was too early in the day for family drama. This was why she’d hesitated for a long time before accepting the position. Her mother always manipulated everyone to get what she wanted. Nine years ago was the last time she’d allowed her to do so. “Well, I can see you are still my most stubborn child. Thankfully, your sisters don’t feel the same as you. They are coming home for Christmas as they always do. Now that you live here, I expect you will be joining us.”
Her cheeks were burning. Christmas wasn’t even on her radar; it was months away. Somehow, her mother always found a way to get what she wanted. Even though she wasn’t close with Melody and Addie anymore, she knew she couldn’t avoid them if they were in town, but it didn’t make things easier for her. She’d treated a lot of people very poorly in order to protect them. “Fine. See you in three months,” she said, walking away, trying to weave through the crowd before she ran into someone else she knew.
“Wait, Molly,” her mother called after her.
She paused and turned around, not wanting to cause a scene, and waited for whatever else it was her mother needed to say.
“Do you need help finding a house? I just signed a gorgeous listing with a view of the mountains. It’s a newly built home, very large, with all the bells and whistles.”
She tried to keep her snarky comments to herself, even though she was tempted to say something. Her mother, in addition to being mayor of Shadow Creek, was also a realtor. Her priorities had always been work, money, and letting the town know she had plenty of both. “I don’t need large, and I don’t need bells and whistles. I’m not sure I’m buying anything, because I’m leaving in a year and won’t be staying here permanently.”
“Well, still. Buy now and even if you have to sell, I’m sure you’ll clear a tidy profit.”
“I’m staying at the inn because it’s easy and comfortable. If and when I look for a home, I’ll call Julia Donovan.”
Her mother’s perfectly manicured and bejewelled hand flew to her chest. “You’d go with Julia Donovan over me?”
Molly resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “I was friends with Julia in high school.”
“I’m your mother.
“We both know you failed me when I needed you most,” Molly said, backing up a step. She needed to leave. She had way too busy of a day to have her mother and their gruesome history railroad it.
“You have a selective memory. When the going got tough you called me first.”
Molly shut her eyes. When the going got tough. What a callous way of putting what had happened to her. “Goodbye, Mother.”
“Well, just to warn you, because I really do care about you, Ben Matthews is still in town. He’s worked his way up to captain.”
Molly wasn’t surprised. That had always been his dream. “So?”
Her mother rolled her eyes. “Stay away from him so you don’t make a fool of yourself. He’s never forgiven you, and he’s given me the cold shoulder ever since. I’m trying to spare you the humiliation of having him snub you.”
She didn’t know what her mother’s angle was but looking out for her was not it. She didn’t care enough to find out or to get involved in one of her plans. “Goodbye, Mother.” This time her mother didn’t call after her.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she opened the door and drew in a deep gulp of crisp, fall air as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. Luckily, she didn’t even have time to dwell in the anger and hurt because her phone indicated she had a voicemail. She marched down the sidewalk, her phone in one hand and her coffee in the other as she glanced down at her screen to retrieve the message. Then she proceeded to walk into a wall.
The wall had a voice, a deep, very familiar voice. The voice was cursing. “Hell, I heard you were back in town.”
Anxiety gripped her and she dropped her cup of coffee on the sidewalk. She didn’t want to see him. She didn’t want to talk to him. It was too much too soon—first her mother then Ben. She refused to think about the first time she’d spilled coffee on him, because this time things were different. Now he hated her. Back then he’d laughed and flirted, and it had been the beginning of the most amazing time in her life. Now she was filled with shame for the way she’d treated him.
She wasn’t prepared to see him. She knelt down to pick up her cup, trying to get her emotions under control, and then stood, looking way up, past the well-worn jeans that hugged his athletic form, the coffee-stained T-shirt with the SCFD logo on the front that clung to a wide and solid chest, to the face that was even more devastating than in her dreams. She put on her professional serene doctor face and forced a smile, despite the churning in her stomach. “I’m so sorry, Ben. There must have been an uneven piece of sidewalk. Uh, nice to see you.”
His jaw was tight, his eyes hidden behind aviator sunglasses. “Sure.”
She ignored the snub and blurted out the sentiment she should have said in a card or email when she’d heard about his dad passing a few years back. She clutched the shoulder strap on her Kate Spade purse, her sweating hands a pathetic testament to his effect on her still. “I’m sorry about your father… I would have called but…”
His jaw clenched and unclenched a few times, and she didn’t know if he was going to answer. He pulled off his glasses and she felt so tiny, so insignificant, when his opinion of her shone in his eyes, louder and clearer than any words could ever vocalize.
Ben had the perfect family. He’d been raised by good people, and he and his brother had always been inseparable. They had followed in their father’s footsteps and had both become firefighters. She’d heard about his father dying in a building while trying to rescue a child. The child had survived, but he hadn’t.
Molly adored his mother and had spent many summer afternoons chatting with her on their front porch, sipping iced tea while waiting for Ben to come back from work. That had been the best summer of her life. She’d fallen in love for the first and only time, and her future had looked idyllic. She looked away from Ben’s gaze for a moment. She hated thinking of what their opinion of her must be now.
“How are your mother and Finn?” she asked.
His dark eyes clouded over. “My mother is sick.”
Her heart sank. “Oh, Ben, I’m sorry to hear that. Will she be okay?”
He gave a shrug. “We’re not sure.”
She didn’t feel right asking for details. She’d love to visit Marjorie and be supportive, but she didn’t think she’d be welcome after the way she’d treated her son. “Please let her know that if she needs anything…”
He looked like he wanted to make a smart comment, but he just gave her a terse nod.
“I should probably get going. I have a full day ahead,” she said.
“Wouldn’t want to keep you from your priorities,” he said, the bite in his voice hurting as much as predicted.
She forced a smile, determined to keep up the image she’d given him nine years ago. “Thank you. Nice to see you.”
She walked away from him on legs that felt like they weren’t strong enough to carry her away from him again.

Tour Wide Giveaway

To celebrate the release of THE FIREFIGHTER’S PRETEND FIANCE by Victoria James, we’re giving away for a $25 Amazon gift card!

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:  Open internationally. One winner will be chosen to receive a $25 Amazon gift card. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Entangled Publishing.  Giveaway ends 9/14/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Entangled Publishing will send one winning prize, Pure Textuality PR will deliver the other. Limit one entry per reader and mailing address. Duplicates will be deleted.  CLICK HERE TO ENTER!


About Victoria James


VICTORIA JAMES is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Victoria always knew she wanted to be a writer and in grade five, she penned her first story, bound it (with staples and a cardboard cover) and did all the illustrations herself. Luckily, this book will never see the light of day again.

In high school she fell in love with historical romance and then contemporary romance. After graduating University with an English Literature degree, Victoria pursued a degree in Interior Design and then opened her own business. After her first child, Victoria knew it was time to fulfill her dream of writing romantic fiction.

Victoria is a hopeless romantic who is living her dream, penning happily-ever-after’s for her characters in between managing kids and the family business. Writing on a laptop in the middle of the country in a rambling old Victorian house would be ideal, but she’s quite content living in suburbia with her husband, their two young children, and very bad cat.

Sign up for Victoria’s Newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming releases and exclusive giveaways, follow her blog for daily antics and insight into her daily life, and get to know her on twitter and Facebook. She loves hearing from readers!

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