Release Blitz + Review: "Decidedly with Luck" by Stina Lindenblatt

I am delighted to join the release and review blitz celebrating "Decidedly with Luck" by Stina Lindenblatt, book #6 of the By the Bay series. It reads as a complete standalone, though characters from previous stories make appearances in this one. Also, this story has its roots in a novella that was first published in the multi-author "Jingle Balls" collection late last year, but that novella is included in the beginning of the book for those who missed it when it was previously released.

"Decidedly with Luck" had me hooked from the very first page, and I read the entire book in a single evening even though it meant staying up well past my bedtime. (For the record, I regret nothing.) Main characters Kiera Ashdown and Logan Mathews were both quite likeable and sympathetic, and even though they each made mistakes along the way, I found it very easy to understand the reasons behind the choices they made. 

The book's secondary characters were every bit as endearing as Logan and Kiera and added a tremendous amount of depth and humor to the story. I particularly liked Logan's ex-wife Stacy, who was so nice and became a good friend to both Logan and Kiera. I also enjoyed Kiera's friends and fellow teachers Ava ("Decidedly with Mistletoe") and Chloe ("Spying under the Mistletoe"), whose stories I plan to go back and read as soon as I find the time.

Overall, I loved this funny, sweet, heartwarming story and highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. Stina Lindenblatt is a new-to-me author, but I will definitely be checking out more of her books in the future.

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Wildfire Marketing Solutions. All opinions expressed are my own. 

 

About "Decidedly with Luck"

Masquerade ball rule #1: what happens at the ball doesn’t always stay at the ball.

Oops.

A chance encounter with a masked stranger at a charity ball led to an incredible kiss and a night of hot sex. The kiss was my goal for that night, a baby step forward after my husband’s death a year ago. The hot sex? Not so much.

You know what else hadn’t been my goal?

To be knocked up by a man whose identity is a mystery to me.

So now I’m preparing for my impending motherhood and planning a fundraiser to provide books for foster kids.

The latter is where hot hockey player Logan Mathews comes in...

****
 

The last time I saw Kiera Ashdown was the night of the Jingle Balls masquerade ball. She’d wanted her first time with a man after her husband’s death to be with a stranger.

After my NHL team trades me to San Francisco, where my daughter and ex-wife live, I’m determined to be a better father and not repeat past mistakes. My hockey career and my daughter come first.

The last thing I expect to discover is that Kiera is my seven-year-old daughter’s teacher. The last thing I expect to learn is that she’s pregnant with my dead best friend’s child.

And the last thing I want to admit is that I was the one who made love to Kiera—several times—the night of the ball.

Because if she ever found out that I’d lied to her, I could lose her friendship. I could lose so much more...

Decidedly with Luck is a standalone romance. All the books in the series can be read in any order. 

 

Release Blitz + Review: "Rachel, Out of Office" by Christina Hovland

I'm excited to participate in today's release blitz celebrating "Rachel, Out of Office" by Christina Hovland, book #1 of the Mommy Wars series.

 

"Rachel, Out of Office" was a tremendously funny, sweet, and heartwarming story featuring endearing characters and an unconventional, yet completely satisfying romance between single mom Rachel Gibson and her former brother-in-law, Travis Frank. I loved how well Travis and Rachel complemented each other. Rachel often seemed to have the weight of the world on her shoulders as she struggled to balance her responsibilities to her small business and her twin 8-year-old sons, Kellan and Brady. While Travis was her opposite in many ways, he had matured quite a bit in recent years and wanted nothing more than for his family to acknowledge how far he'd come. The main challenge they faced was that Travis wanted to help Rachel carry her burdens, but it was difficult for her to let go. Rachel was also concerned about how her sons, ex-husband, and former mother-in-law would react to the prospect of her relationship with Travis. However, Travis knew exactly what he wanted, and he was willing to wait as long as it took for Rachel to figure everything out and feel comfortable with them being together openly.

 

The book's secondary characters were a tremendous amount of fun and added a lot of depth and humor to the story. I loved Rachel's squad of fellow mom pals, especially her best friend Molly. I hope several of them will get their own books in the future. Rachel's ex-husband, Gavin, was also an interesting character. At first, I thought he was just a selfish schmuck who shirked his parental responsibilities, which really made me feel bad for Kellan and Brady because it was obvious how badly they wanted Gavin's attention. As the story progressed, however, I realized that Gavin might not be such a bad guy after all. He was definitely clueless when it came to Rachel's feelings, and he was overly focused on trying to make his new fiancee Dakota happy, which negatively impacted his relationship with Rachel and their kids. Gavin genuinely seemed to love Kellan and Brady, though, and I think he'll do a better job of being there for them going forward.

Overall, I loved "Rachel, Out of Office" and highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. It was a great start to a new series, and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

 

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "Rachel, Out of Office"

Out of reach, out of touch, out of her mind.

Single mom Rachel Gibson seriously needs a break. Between an absent ex-husband, rowdy twin boys, managing the PTA, and running her own business, her candle isn't burning at both ends, it's a full-blown puddle of wax. She's the go-to girl for other entrepreneurs, handling all the tasks they dread. Social media posts? She's got it. Website updates? She's on it. Light bookkeeping? Oh, yes.

Thank goodness she's about to get a reprieve when her in-laws plan to whisk her boys away for a summer of fun at the family lake house. But when her ex backs out of the family retreat, and her former inlaws insist she attend their yearly vacation summit with her munchkins, she finds herself in a pickle. Even though she's drowning in to-dos, she's horrible at saying no -- especially when it comes to her kids.

Once Rachel arrives at the lake house, she struggles to keep up with work and balance the demands of family all the while fending off pesky new feelings about her ex-brother-in-law. Which makes her start to wonder... Is falling for her ex-husband's brother just one more messy complication added to the dumpster fire? Or is anything possible when she's out of office...

 

Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "Forgiven" by Garrett Leigh

Thank you to Carina Press for inviting me to participate in the blog tour promoting the release of "Forgiven" by Garrett Leigh, book #1 of the Forgiven series.

 

"Forgiven" follows florist Mia Amour as she unwillingly returns to her hometown in England after living in Paris for a number of years. Left with no other options after her cheating ex destroys her business and cleans out their bank accounts, Mia moves in with her younger brother, Gus, and soon discovers that the man who broke her heart as a teenager, Luke Daley, is also back in town. As much as Mia tries to avoid Luke, it proves to be impossible when it turns out that her brother not only works for him, but is also his best friend. The chemistry between Mia and Luke burns as hot as ever, but how can Mia get past the pain Luke caused when he left her without even a goodbye?
 

I had mixed feelings about this story. On one hand, it was well-written and I liked that it was set in small-town England, featuring working class characters. It was certainly a nice change of pace from the many contemporaries I come across that focus on billionaires living in New York City! I also really liked Mia's brother, Gus (probably more than I liked either Mia or Luke, to be honest). Gus had some of the best lines in the book and added much-needed lightness and humor to what was in general a very angsty story. 

 

On the other hand, I wasn't sold on Mia and Luke's rekindled relationship. It seemed very unhealthy to me, and I got the impression that it was the same way when they were together as teenagers. They seemed to be trapped in an endless cycle where Mia would be cold to Luke and he would be desperate for her attention, then things would reverse with Luke being cold to Mia while she begged for his attention. They were also terrible at communicating with each other; when they finally did talk about what happened between them in the past, it didn't seem as if anything was resolved, but somehow magically they were "in love" and back together again anyway. 

 

Further, I was confused about several aspects of Mia and Gus's background. For example, they never mentioned their father. Was he ever in the picture? Also, how is it that they both spoke French? Was one (or both) of their parents from France? I know that Mia lived in Paris for a long time, but what about Gus? 

Overall, while I didn't hate "Forgiven," it's tough for me to recommend it. Fans of angsty contemporary romance looking for a quick read may enjoy it, but otherwise I'd probably give it a pass. However, I do plan to check out the next book in the series, featuring Mia's brother Gus and Luke's brother Billy. 

 

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "Forgiven"

High school sweethearts Mia and Luke get a second chance at love in this brand-new contemporary romance from award-winning author Garrett Leigh.

When Mia Amour returns to England to open a florist shop, all she wants to do is put her lousy ex behind her and never look back. But getting a fresh start is easier said than done when her first love, the boy who once broke her teenage heart, strolls back into her life. He’s every bit as sexy as she remembers, and the urge to melt back into his arms almost makes her forget how devastated she was when he took off without a word. Almost.

Left with no choice, Luke Daley did what he had to do, leaving town to earn enough money to save his broken family, though it just about broke him, too. But now he’s back, running his uncle’s business and trying desperately to forget about Mia, the girl he left behind all those years ago. When he runs into her in town, the shock of seeing her again brings an intense rush of emotions: love, guilt…and an overwhelming urge to find out if it’s still as amazing between them as it used to be.

It doesn’t take either of them long to give in to desire and discover the fiery passion they once shared burns hotter than ever. With each new touch, each moment of forgiveness, old hurts heal and the future they’d hoped for ten years ago becomes possible again. But their fragile connection is tested by a threat neither of them saw coming—a threat that could end their second chance before it even gets started.

 

Read an Excerpt from "Forgiven"

Mia Amour. Her name had haunted me so much my bunkmate had once found me sleep-scrawling it on our cabin wall. He thought it had meant something—that I was writing a message from another dimension in a language he didn’t understand—but the reality had been far more simple: even on the other side of the world, I couldn’t get her out of my head.

Somehow, though, over time, I’d forgotten what her eyes did to me. How they could root me to the spot with a single glance and empty my mind of anything but her. Mia. I counted my heartbeats as they thundered in my ears. One, two, three, four. And then she tore her stormy blue gaze away from mine and walked out of the chip shop.

I reached for the empty space she left behind, and my faculties slowly returned to me as her footsteps echoed in my shell-shocked brain. As drawn to her as I’d always been, I drifted after her, but when I got outside, she was gone.

A thousand emotions warred in my gut, but the age-old frustration was so familiar I felt sick. Fucking Mia Amour. Deep down, I’d always hated her as much as I’d loved her, because there was no one else on earth who could make my heart pound like she did, my palms sweat, and my fingers tremble.

Cursing, I hauled myself back into the van. Gus followed a moment later, an open bag of chips in each hand. “Where’d you get to? It was your turn to buy tea.”

I tossed him a crumpled-up fiver. “Why didn’t you tell me your sister was in town?”

“Oh fuck.” Gus held out a bag of chips, then set it on the dashboard when I made no move to claim it. “Are we really doing this?”

I gave him a flat look.

He sighed. “Fuck’s sake. Why would I tell you? You two aren’t exactly friends, and you haven’t been a couple since I was fourteen and nicking Mayfair Lights from her school bag.”

Shit, had it been that long? Why was it that just a glimpse of her face could set me back a decade? The weight in my chest increased and I started the van, gunning the rickety diesel engine with a roar. “Either way, a fucking heads-up would’ve been nice.”

“But why, though?” Gus pointed a chip at me. “You want her number so you can catch up on old times?”

I wondered if he’d actually give it to me. Then pictured myself calling Mia and her reaction to hearing my voice for the first time in ten long years.

A legit shudder passed through me. I was done torturing myself for putting my family first, for giving up my entire life to keep a roof over my mum’s head, but that didn’t make the obvious anger in Mia’s eyes easier to bear. Her temper had fascinated seventeen-year-old me—sometimes I’d wound her up on purpose, just to revel in her flushed skin and sharp tongue—but I didn’t have the stones to take it now. My Mia angst tolerance was at an all-time complacent low.

“Luke?”

I spared Gus another glare. “What?”

“Can I eat your chips?” 

Review: "Lost on the Way" by Isabel Jolie

Lost on the Way by Isabel Jolie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Lost on the Way" by Isabel Jolie was a bittersweet friends-to-lovers romance that featured well-developed, sympathetic protagonists and a compelling plot. When the story began, main characters Maggie and Jason were stuck in an unhealthy, co-dependent relationship that seemed to be hurting more than helping either one of them. Maggie enabled Jason to keep living a strange half-life in which he expected his cancer to come back at any moment, and he never really dealt with the loss of his best friend, fellow cancer patient (and Maggie's late boyfriend) Adam. As for Maggie, she continued to put aside her desire for marriage and children because of her love for Jason, who refused to acknowledge or return her romantic feelings because he was convinced that Maggie would somehow be less devastated by his eventual death if they were just friends. They each needed to learn how to deal with their emotions in a healthier way, which meant spending time apart even though it was difficult and painful for them both.

What I most loved about this book is that there was a real sense of character and relationship development, so when Maggie and Jason ended up back together in the end, I had no problem believing that they had each made positive changes that would allow them to make each other happy. They actually worked to get better; Jason spent months in therapy, while Maggie learned to advocate for herself and what she wanted her life to be.

I highly recommend "Lost on the Way" for fans of emotional contemporary romance and will definitely be looking for more books by this author.

*Review copy provided by the author/publisher via Hidden Gems Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

View all my reviews

Blog Tour + Review: "Not My Match" by Ilsa Madden-Mills

I'm pleased to take part in the blog tour celebrating the release of "Not My Match" by Ilsa Madden-Mills, book #2 of the Game Changers series. It can be read as a standalone, but female protagonist Giselle's story really starts in the previous book, so IMO it's best to read these two in order.

 

"Not My Match" was a delightful slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance between physics grad student Giselle Riley and NFL wide receiver Devon Walsh. Despite being surrounded by people, Giselle and Devon both seemed lonely when the story began, and I think that was a big part of why they were so drawn to each other. Giselle was in a particularly tough spot, wracked with guilt over betraying her sister Elena (the female lead of book #1) with her ex, Preston, and essentially homeless after a fire drove her out of her apartment. All she wanted was to get her life back on track, but it seemed like she couldn't catch a break. 
 

There was an obvious spark between Devon and Giselle from the start, but Devon kept pushing Giselle away and trying to keep her in the friend zone. Not only was he struggling with past abandonment issues, his best friend Jack (the male lead of book #1) had made Giselle off-limits in an effort to protect her from the guys on his team. Giselle had a lot of bad experiences with men, so I understood where Jack was coming from, but Devon was a good guy and didn't seem to be nearly as much of a player as his reputation suggested. He took care of his family and went out of his way to look after Giselle while Jack and Elena were away on their honeymoon, even though that made it more difficult for him to fight his feelings for her.

 

Giselle was kind of the "bad guy" in the previous book of the series, but surprisingly, I really liked her after I got to know her better. Given more context and an understanding of her side of the story, Giselle seemed to have been a victim of Preston's manipulations just as much as her sister Elena was. That's not to say that everything Giselle did was right, but she was truly remorseful and genuine in her desire to repair her relationship with Elena.

There were a number of emotional moments in this story, but plenty of funny scenes as well. Much of the humor was thanks to the book's charming secondary characters, including Giselle's pot-smoking landlady Myrtle, the students from her Intro to Physics class, Corey and Addison, and Elena's best friend Topher (who also appeared in book #1). My favorite, however, was Elena and Giselle's mama Cynthia, whose passive aggressive prayers at Sunday lunch made me laugh out loud. Finally, I enjoyed Devon and Jack's teammate Aiden and hope that he will get a story of his own in the future.
 

Overall, I loved this heartwarming, funny, sweet yet steamy story and highly recommend it for all contemporary romance readers. I look forward to whatever Madden-Mills writes next.

 

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "Not My Match"

Not My Match, an all-new sports romance full of smoking hot chemistry from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills, is available now!

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers a smart and sexy romance about a professional football hottie and the girl he’s sworn to never touch.

Homeless and heartbreakingly innocent, Giselle Riley walks into my penthouse and chaos follows.

I shouldn’t have invited the girl genius to live with me, but it’s clear she needs my help—not only for a place to lay her pretty blonde head but in finding real love, which she’s not going to get with the crazy men she picks up online.

Too bad she’s a twenty-four-year-old virgin and I’m a bad boy wide receiver. She’s off limits for a hardcore player like me—and we’re just friends.

Instead, I’m her matchmaking service, no matter how jealous it makes me when I tag along on her dates.

I can keep my self-control. Right? No way will I give in to everything inside me that dreams of a girl like her in my world.

I may be the best wide receiver in the country, but how could I hold on to a girl like her?

 

Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "Gimme S'more" by Erin Nicholas

Today, I am thrilled to participate in the blog tour celebrating the release of "Gimme S'more" by Erin Nicholas, the sixth (and final?) book of the Hot Cakes series. Characters from previous books make appearances here, but readers do not need to be familiar with the earlier stories to enjoy this one.

 

I've loved all of the books in this series, but IMO Erin Nicholas saved the best one for last. I adored the flirty, witty banter and unique opposites-attract romance between main characters Piper Barry and Oliver (Ollie) Caprinelli. Snarky, confident Piper was never afraid to be brutally honest with her former boss Ollie, who was incredibly smart and very sweet, but could be completely clueless in his interactions with others or when forced to deal with anything that didn't relate to the video game he created with his best friends in college. Ollie had legitimate concerns about starting a romantic relationship with Piper because he suffered from ADHD, which had caused problems for him with loved ones in the past. However, Piper did a good job of proving to Ollie that she loved him because of his quirks, not in spite of them. They made an adorable couple, and it was very easy for me to cheer them on to their HEA.

Overall, "Gimme S'more" was a laugh-out-loud funny, sweet story with the perfect amount of steam, and I highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. The Hot Cakes series has been tremendously entertaining, and I hope this isn't the last we'll see of these characters. (I'd love to read a future story featuring Piper's friend Drew Ryan...)

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "Gimme S'more"

Gimme S’more, an all-new sweet and sexy opposites-attract standalone romantic comedy in the Hot Cakes Series by New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas is available now!

A friends-to-lovers romance that will make you melt.

Oliver’s a dreamer who is always ready for the next big adventure.

Piper’s the steady one who keeps his feet on the ground.

He’s wildly successful, thanks to her always being there to catch him when he leaps before he looks. But she wants more. While he’s as clueless as ever.

So she just gave her two weeks notice.

Ollie doesn’t know how he’ll survive without Piper. So for the next two weeks, he’ll be sticking to her like the marshmallows on the s’mores she loves so much.

But does he want her as his assistant... or is there a sweeter spot in his life for the woman who's always had his back--and possibly even his heart? 

Read an Excerpt from "Gimme S'more"

The guys were going to kill him.

Ollie scrubbed a hand over his face.

They wouldn’t be surprised, of course. But they were going to be pissed.

They’d all known that Piper quitting was a risk and that one day she’d probably wise-up and lose her patience and that would be it.

They’d also all known that when it happened there was a 90 percent chance it would be because of Ollie.

The other 10 percent chance was that it would be because of Ollie and Dax together.

And now it had finally happened.

If it came down to choosing between him and Piper, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know how that debate would end up. Or how short the discussion would be before they decided they wanted and needed her more.

That was only one of the reasons he hadn’t told them yet.

The other was because he was still processing the part where she’d said she loved him.

What was he supposed to do with that?

She wasn’t just supposed to say that out loud right to him, was she? He had not been expecting that. The guys and their girlfriends had insinuated for a while now that Piper might have a crush on him but no, he hadn’t expected her to ever say anything herself.

It was a might have. A crush. Okay, they were adults and maybe adults didn’t have crushes exactly, but everything anyone had said suggested that it was just that Piper thought he was interesting at times and that she didn’t hate spending time with him.

But a crush wasn’t love. For fuck’s sake.

And it had to be Piper?

Piper Barry was amazing. She was gorgeous. She was smart. She was capable. She could do anything. She was funny and sweet and sassy and tough.

She was intimidating as hell.

What was he supposed to do with her now?

What was he supposed to do without her now?

Well, the solution seemed pretty obvious. She’d basically given him the answer herself—I can’t be in love with you and work for you. And the only one of those two things I can change is the working for you part.

So he needed to get her to not be in love with him anymore. Then she’d come back to work and all would be fine.

Now he just had to get her to realize she could do a hell of a lot better than him.

Of course, he’d been a pain in her ass for five years now. If that didn’t do it, he wasn’t sure what would. 

 

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Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "Fighting Dirty" by Stacey Lynn

I am very excited to take part in the blog tour celebrating the release of "Fighting Dirty" by Stacey Lynn, book #5 of the Ice Kings series. It reads as a complete standalone, though several characters from earlier books make cameo appearances in this one.

 

The friends-to-lovers romance between main characters Jillian Stearns and Klaus Newman was well-crafted, with lots of flirty, witty banter and fantastic chemistry. I loved how playful they were at times, as well as how supportive they were of each other. That said, I was slightly frustrated at first because they wouldn't just tell each other how they really felt, plus I couldn't understand why Jillian tried to push Klaus away every time he got close. However, her fears became very understandable as more details about her family and upbringing were revealed. There were a lot of complex family dynamics at play in this story, and Jillian needed a chance to repair her relationship with her parents before she was able to fully embrace the idea of a future with Klaus.

Overall, "Fighting Dirty" was a funny, sweet story that featured likeable, sympathetic characters, and I recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance. I hope there are more books to come in this series! 

*Review copy provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "Fighting Dirty"

Fighting Dirty, an all-new irresistible, fake relationship standalone romance in the smoking hot Ice Kings Series from Stacey Lynn is available now!

On or off the ice, I have no problems fighting dirty to get what I want.

But this is one fight I might just lose.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my best friend. 

 

Like, hide the fact I’ve been in love with her for years.

Or agree to be her fake boyfriend when we have to return to her hometown for her exes wedding.

Little does Jillian know this is what I’ve been waiting for. 

 

It’s a dream come true. I finally get to touch her and love her in all the ways I’ve been dying to show her.

For one weekend only, she’s mine, even if she thinks it’s fake.

Pretending to love her is easy.

I want her to be mine forever. 

 

Getting Jillian to admit it’s what she wants too, is another thing. 

 

On or off the ice, I have no problems fighting dirty to get what I want.

 

But this is one fight I might just lose. 

 

 

Read an Excerpt from "Fighting Dirty"

“I’ll do it.”

“What?” I mean, that was Becca’s plan, but I still hadn’t decided if I was going to ask Klaus.

He’ll have to pretend to be my boyfriend. Someone who loves me enough to prove I’ve totally moved on from Roman and Julianna. I’m not sure my mental health can handle spending a weekend with Klaus pretending we’re dating and then coming back home after and going back to being friends.

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I do it?”

“Are you sure?” I take a small sip. Too much wine will go straight to my head. My appetite still hasn’t returned since Saturday, mostly because I’ve been dreading this moment. “Because it’s not just a date, I mean, it is, but we’d have to act in love and all that stuff.”

Klaus laughs and pushes off his stool. “I do understand the general idea of being a boyfriend and what that entails.”

A warm, calloused, and gorgeous hand covers mine, forcing both my hand and the avocado oil glass bottle to the counter.

“Look at me.”

When I do, he steals my breath. I’ve been able to hide my reaction to him for years. First I pushed it aside because I was stupidly in love with Roman, and then we were friends.

Are friends.

Right. Friends shouldn’t feel this way or have their body heat just because they’re in close, touching proximity to each other.

Someone should tell that to my vagina.

“What about Bailey?” Bailey’s his on-again, off-again cheerleader girlfriend with the local NBA team. She’s also a pre-med student and sweet as hell. It’s difficult to hate her even when I tried. And before Bailey, there was Barbie and Brianna and Bianca. Klaus has such a fascination with women whose names start with the letter B I hesitated to ever introduce him to Becca. Fortunately, Becca’s immune to his charm.

“I haven’t seen Bailey in months.”

“What?” I ask again. “I thought…”

“We weren’t serious. And she wanted something I couldn’t give her.”

“What’s that?”

“Commitment. My heart.” His steel-blue eyes are perfectly framed with long, golden-brown lashes that blink slowly. “I didn’t feel that way about her, so we ended things, firmly, months ago, and I don’t want to talk about her anymore. I’d love to take you to the wedding. In fact, I want to take you.”

A tiny little bubble of hope lifts my voice. “Really? You’ll pretend with me?”

His eyes bounce from mine, to my nose, to my lips before meeting my gaze. I swear that steely blue deepens into another emotion before he smiles. “Sure. I’ll pretend with you.”

A flutter of warmth skips across my shoulder, to my neck, down my spine.

Pretend to be in love with Klaus Newman?

I can totally pull that off.

But can I do it while hiding the fact I think I’m already halfway in love with the guy?

I guess we’ll see how good of an actress I am. 

 

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