Thursday, January 31, 2019

Tour Review - - Once a Liar


Once a Liar
By A. F. Brady
Publisher: Park Row (Harlequin)
Release Date: January 29, 2019
Reviewed by PJ




In this electrifying psychological thriller, a high-powered sociopath meets his reckoning when he’s accused of the brutal murder of his mistress.
Did he kill Charlie Doyle? And if he didn’t…who did?
Peter Caine, a cutthroat Manhattan defense attorney, worked ruthlessly to become the best at his job. On the surface, he is charming and handsome, but inside he is cold and heartless. He fights without remorse to acquit murderers, pedophiles and rapists.
When Charlie Doyle, the daughter of the Manhattan DA—and Peter’s former lover—is murdered, Peter’s world is quickly sent into a tailspin. He becomes the prime suspect as the DA, a professional enemy of Peter’s, embarks on a witch hunt to avenge his daughter’s death, stopping at nothing to ensure Peter is found guilty of the murder.
In the challenge of his career and his life, Peter races against the clock to prove his innocence. As the evidence mounts against him, he’s forced to begin unraveling his own dark web of lies and confront the sins of his past. But the truth of who killed Charlie Doyle is more twisted and sinister than anyone could have imagined…

My thoughts:

At first glance, Once a Liar has everything I typically enjoy in a psychological thriller. It starts out well and doesn't take long to figure out that Peter Caine is one sick puppy. I anticipated a story that would have me eagerly flipping pages to find out what happens next. Unfortunately, that's not what happened. The pace quickly slows to a crawl and I began to lose interest, several times having to force myself to continue. It does pick up toward the end of the book though and includes some twists that may surprise many readers. 

The characterization of Peter is very good. It's clear the author knows a lot about sociopaths and has created a character that should produce a visceral reaction in most readers. He certainly did with me. She's also created an interesting cast of secondary characters, many with their own share of psychological issues. These are not happy people. I wasn't able to find a single one I'd like to meet in real life. They are expertly depicted though and their actions generated strong emotional reactions in me. Kudos to the author for accomplishing that.


I like my stories told at a faster pace but if you enjoy a slow-moving character study with some twists and turns along the way, you may want to give this one a try. 

Are you a fan of psychological thrillers?

Do you prefer a fast-paced story with lots of action or a slower story with the focus on character evolution?

One person who leaves a comment before 11:00 PM, February 1, 2019 will receive a print copy of Once a Liar. (U.S. only)


INSTAGRAM TOUR:

Monday, January 28th: @bookishconnoisseur
Tuesday, January 29th: @tbretc
Tuesday, January 29th: @wherethereadergrows
Wednesday, January 30th: @amberafterglowreads
Thursday, January 31st: @bibliotrix.lestrange
Friday, February 1st: @bookclubwithbite
Saturday, February 2nd: @girlwithnoselfie
Sunday, February 3rd: @bookishwinterwitch
Monday, February 4th: @jessicamap
Tuesday, February 5th: @thats_what_she_read
Wednesday, February 6th: @thepagesinbetween
Thursday, February 7th: @novelgossip

REVIEW TOUR:

Monday, January 28th: Moonlight Rendezvous
Tuesday, January 29th: Where the Reader Grows
Wednesday, January 30th: Midwest Ladies Who Lit
Thursday, January 31st: The Romance Dish
Friday, February 1st: Book Reviews and More by Kathy – excerpt
Monday, February 4th: Jessicamap Reviews
Tuesday, February 5th: Rockin’ Book Reviews
Wednesday, February 6th: The Pages In-Between
Thursday, February 7th: Novel Gossip
Monday, February 11th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Tuesday, February 12th: She Reads With Cats and @shereadswithcats
Wednesday, February 13th: @readingbetweenthe_wines
Friday, February 15th: @jennblogsbooks
Monday, February 18th: Helen’s Book Blog
Tuesday, February 19th: Thoughts from a Highly Caffeinated Mind
Wednesday, February 20th: Erica Robyn Reads
Saturday, February 23rd: Books & Bindings
Monday, February 25th: Bewitched Bookworms
Wednesday, February 27th: Cheryl’s Book Nook
Friday, March 1st: @love_my_dane_dolly
Monday, March 4th: Thoughts on This ‘n That




Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Winner - - The Lost Girls of Paris






The randomly chosen winner of a print copy of

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff is:

hope

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com


Review - - Kissed by the Country Doc


Kissed by the Country Doc
By Melinda Curtis
Publisher: Harlequin Heartwarming
Release Date: February 1, 2019
Reviewed by PJ





She came to sell a town…

But she found a home

Never in her wildest dreams could single mom Ella Monroe imagine co-inheriting the small town of Second Chance, Idaho—or falling for its curmudgeonly doctor, Noah Bishop. Despite his rough edges and protests for isolation, Noah has her believing in love at first sight again. But when she’s pressured to sell her stake, Ella is torn between family loyalty and following her heart.





My thoughts:

I so enjoyed this book! Kissed by the Country Doc launches Melinda Curtis's new The Mountain Monroes contemporary romance series with a fast-paced, delightful story featuring young widow, Ella Monroe and grumpy small-town doc with a secret, Noah Bishop. Both are intriguing, complex characters with whom I felt an almost immediate affinity. I love their banter, they way they challenge one another, and the palpable chemistry they're determined to not acknowledge. Ella's daughter, Penny is a real scene stealer and reminds me a lot of a two-year-old in my own life. I adored her. Another aspect of this story I appreciated is the growth of both Ella and Noah and the fact that Curtis gives them the time to evolve, both individually and as a couple. 

Curtis populates her small mountain town with numerous characters I'd like to know better. There are the Monroe cousins who arrive with Ella to scope out their unexpected, and unwanted, inheritance from Grandpa Monroe after being cut loose by their fathers: Shane, the former head of Monroe hotels, Sophie, exhausted and overwhelmed single mom of twin boys, and Laurel, former costume designer at Monroe Studios who lives in the shadow of her movie star, identical twin and is keeping a secret from her family. Then there are the residents of Second Chance, Idaho who apparently knew Grandpa Monroe better than his family did. They're none too happy about the Monroe grandchildren descending upon them. They also are keeping secrets and I can't wait to discover more as the series plays out.  

If you enjoy fast-paced contemporary romance with plenty of emotion, humor, a bit of mystery, snappy dialogue, and heartwarming romance, you'll want to check out Kissed by the Country Doc by Melinda Curtis. It has my enthusiastic recommendation.

Do you enjoy small-town romance?

Have you read any books by Melinda Curtis?

What's the last family series that had you eagerly anticipating all the stories to come?

Two people who leave a comment before 11:00 PM, January 31, 2019 will each receive a print copy of Kissed by the Country Doc. (U.S. only)




Excerpt


A man in his thirties opened the diner’s door for the carload. He had wavy brown hair in a neatly styled haircut and was inappropriately dressed for the mountains—slacks, leather loafers, a light winter jacket. No cap. No gloves.
A case of frostbite in the making.
Noah hid a smile behind a sip of his coffee.
A woman hurried inside. Bright red hair. Pale complexion. Black leather jacket over a black tunic sweater, black leggings and black boots. Something about her seemed familiar. She spotted the restroom sign and hurried toward it.
Carsick.
Whether they were the Monroes or not, they were providing Noah with some much-needed entertainment.
Another woman scurried in. She had wavy brown hair, pointy features and frazzled brown eyes shaded by dark circles that her glasses did nothing to conceal. She held the hands of two twin toddler boys, who clumped in wearing matching dark green unzipped jackets and white sneakers that flashed bright red beams from the heels as they walked. She followed the first woman to the restrooms.
Single mom in need of a good night’s sleep and proper hydration.
A third woman entered, stepping to the side so the man could close the door behind her. Her hair was blond, her eyes a bright blue. She had a sprinkling of freckles and the kind of glowing skin that never tanned. She was the only sensibly dressed one of the lot in a navy stadium jacket, snow boots and a knit cap. The toddler she carried had the same coloring and wore a pink snowsuit.
She set down the little girl and proceeded to shed layers—hers and the toddler’s— plopping their gear and a diaper bag in a booth. She wiped the toddler’s runny nose with a crumpled tissue, straightened and took a good look around, while Noah took a good look at her. She didn’t seem like a millionaire. She seemed like the kindhearted girl-next-door. The one who blushed when you asked her to help you with your English homework, and was happy for you when you told her you’d asked the cheerleading captain to prom.
Not that I was that guy.
She made him feel guilty all the same.
Something crashed into Noah’s thigh.
The toddler wiped her nose on Noah’s black ski pants and then looked up at him with a mischievous grin and said, “Hi,” before fleeing with a squeal and a giggle across the diner. “Penny.” The girl-next-door snatched a napkin from the holder on the table and wiped at the streak of snot on Noah’s ski pants. And then she froze, her hands inches from Noah’s thigh.
Noah’s ears filled with white noise, not caused by any head cold or sinus infection. This was one of those surreal moments where a beauty had unwittingly touched a beast. Noah’s heart went out of rhythm. He felt light-headed.
Heart attack? Negative.
Low blood sugar? Negative.
High-altitude dehydration? Likely.
Despite his diagnosis, Noah reached for his dehydrating coffee. But his eyes… His eyes couldn’t turn away from her.
“My apologies. That was inappropriate.” The woman’s cheeks bloomed with color. Her bright blue gaze bounced to Noah’s and away before she, too, made a run for it. “Penelope Arlene, you come back here.”
Penny’s laughter drowned out the white noise in Noah’s head, and sent others in the room chuckling, breaking the tension that the arrival of the Monroes had caused. Noah breathed easier.
“We thought we’d come down and stay a few days,” Shane Monroe was saying, still on his high horse. Not that Noah was one to judge. As an orthopedic surgeon, he’d taken many a ride on a high horse.
And look where that’s gotten me.
Noah clenched his gloved fists, his left hand more than his right.
Penny was playing keep-away-from mama, running on chubby legs between tables in the middle of the room. Not that the girl-next-door was trying hard to catch her. More likely, she was trying to keep Penny from wiping her nose on another unsuspecting Second Chance resident.
The toddler boys raced into the dining room and joined Penny. The three of them ran around a table as if they were playing musical chairs or training to be track stars.
“Someone.” Shane waved toward the spectacle. “Please.”
The girl-next-door and the harried mom of twins moved in.
Sensing her freedom was about to end, Penny veered and crashed into Noah, giggling nonstop. She gave a wet snuffle and turned her face to Noah’s knee.
This time, Noah was ready for her and swiped her nose with a napkin. “Gotcha.”
She looked up at him, aghast, lower lip trembling.
“Come here, Penny.” The girl-next-door crouched in front of Noah and held out her hands, just far enough away that she couldn’t touch him again. “No-o-o.” Penny wasn’t just an athlete in the making. She was also a bit of a drama queen. She clutched Noah’s calf and shook her blond curls. “No-o-o.”
Penny’s mom raised those blue eyes to Noah’s once more, causing a heartstuttering, equilibrium-shaking, whitenoise-in-the-ears relapse. “Given the way my daughter clings to you, we should be on a first-name basis. I’m Ella.” Her glance caught on Noah’s black gloves.
And just like that, Noah was reminded why he didn’t want a woman’s interest.
The world self-corrected. Stabilized.
“Mom.” Penny made a raspberry noise against Noah’s knee, negating her mother having any name other than… “Mom. Mom. Mom.”
“I’m Noah.” He ruffled Penny’s blond curls with his left hand. “Your daughter is what? Two?”
“I two,” Penny confirmed, holding up four fingers.
The twins ran by, followed by their mother, who said, “No one told me the terrible twos lasted long after the age of four.” She snatched a boy in each arm and gave them a playful growl as she stood, glasses sliding down her thin nose. “Only boys who behave get French fries.”
The boys stopped struggling and allowed their mother to carry them to the lunch counter, where she deposited each on a stool and ordered French fries from Ivy.
“Fesh fies?” Penny toddled forward into Ella’s arms.
“Apple fries?” Ella countered, then whispered conspiratorially to Noah, “So much healthier, and in my bag.”
His mother would have said, “She’s as adorable as her daughter.”
I’ve never liked adorable.
His sister would have said, “She’s not wearing a wedding ring.”
A fact I noticed completely by accident.

Kindle (February 1, 2019)

Mass market paperback (February 5, 2019)



Monday, January 28, 2019

Tour Review - - The Lost Girls of Paris


The Lost Girls of Paris
by Pam Jenoff
Publisher: Park Row (Harlequin)
Release Date: January 29, 2019
Reviewed by PJ



1946, Manhattan

One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal on her way to work, Grace Healey finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Grace opens the suitcase, where she discovers a dozen photographs—each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station.

Grace soon learns that the suitcase belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg, leader of a network of female secret agents who were deployed out of London during the war. Twelve of these women were sent to Occupied Europe as couriers and radio operators to aid the resistance, but they never returned home, their fates a mystery. Setting out to learn the truth behind the women in the photographs, Grace finds herself drawn to a young mother turned agent named Marie, whose daring mission overseas reveals a remarkable story of friendship, valor and betrayal.

Vividly rendered and inspired by true events, New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff shines a light on the incredible heroics of the brave women of the war and weaves a mesmerizing tale of courage, sisterhood and the great strength of women to survive in the hardest of circumstances.



My thoughts:

I've read enough novels by Pam Jenoff to know better than to start reading one of her books in the evening. I ignored my inner monitor, did it anyway, and turned the final page at 3:30 AM. Yes, I was completely worthless the next day but it was so worth it. 

Inspired by actual people and events during WWII, The Lost Girls of Paris is filled with everything I've come to enjoy in a Jenoff novel. The author's meticulous research immerses the reader in the 1940's, both during and following the war. The transitions from 1946 New York City to 1943 London to 1944 France were flawless, with spot-on pacing that held my attention from beginning to end, and vivid descriptions that took me on an incredible journey. Told primarily from the points of view of three women, this story follows ordinary women leading extraordinary, incredibly dangerous lives as secret agents during the war and the young woman who stumbles upon their story a few years later. It's filled with danger, tension, betrayal, anguish, bravery, suspense, sacrifice, and heart...and I couldn't look away. 

Jenoff has a talent for creating fully-dimensional characters that pull me into their hearts and minds. I care about them. I'm invested in their lives and their happiness. I applaud their success, fear for their safety, celebrate the joy in their lives, and grieve their losses. My emotions were all over the place as I read this book because that's what a Pam Jenoff story does. It makes me feel.

Another thing Jenoff does in her books is teach, though you don't realize how much you've learned until you finish the story. While reading this book, I was fully immersed in the journey of the characters. It wasn't until the next day, when I began reflecting upon what I'd read, that I realized how much I had learned about this part of history that was made in England and France during the war. I knew nothing about this group of female secret agents who were smuggled into France to aid the resistance against the Nazis but through Jenoff's fictional characters, I feel as if I've come to know and understand at least a small part of the real women who were members of this exceptionally brave unit. 

If you enjoy historical fiction, WWII fiction, women's fiction, or just an exceptionally well-written book that teaches you, touches you, and fills you with emotion, don't miss Pam Jenoff's newest novel, The Lost Girls of Paris. I highly recommend it. 

Have you read any of Pam Jenoff's books?

Had you ever heard of the female secret agents of England's Special Operations Executive?

One randomly chosen person who leaves a comment on this post before 11:00 PM, 29 January 2019 will receive a paperback copy of The Lost Girls of Paris
(US/Canada only)



Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble


Connect with Pam Jenoff

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram




Pam Jenoff was born in Maryland and raised outside Philadelphia. She attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Cambridge University in England. Upon receiving her master's in history from Cambridge, she accepted an appointment as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. The position provided a unique opportunity to witness and participate in operations at the most senior levels of government, including helping the families of the Pan Am Flight 103 victims secure their memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, observing recovery efforts at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing and attending ceremonies to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of World War II at sites such as Bastogne and Corregidor.

Following her work at the Pentagon, Pam moved to the State Department. In 1996 she was assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Krakow, Poland. It was during this period that Pam developed her expertise in Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust. Working on matters such as the preservation of Auschwitz and the restitution of Jewish property in Poland, Pam developed close relations with the surviving Jewish community.  

Pam left the Foreign Service in 1998 to attend law school and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. She worked for several years as a labor and employment attorney both at a firm and in-house in Philadelphia and now teaches law school at Rutgers. 

Pam is the author of The Kommandant's Girl, which was an international bestseller and nominated for a Quill award, as well as The Winter Guest, The Diplomat's Wife, The Ambassador's Daughter, Almost Home, A Hidden Affair and The Things We Cherished. She also authored a short story in the anthology Grand Central: Original Postwar Stories of Love and Reunion. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and three children. 


Review Tour:


Monday, January 28th: The Romance Dish
Tuesday, January 29th: The Lit Bitch
Wednesday, January 30th: Lit and Life
Thursday, January 31st: Just One More Chapter
Monday, February 4th: Literary Quicksand
Tuesday, February 5th: Reading Reality
Tuesday, February 5th: Tar Heel Readers
Wednesday, February 6th: French Village Diaries
Thursday, February 7th: Broken Teepee
Friday, February 8th: Kahakai Kitchen
Monday, February 11th: Musings of a Bookish Kitty
Tuesday, February 12th: Rockin’ Book Reviews
Wednesday, February 13th: A Bookish Way of Life
Friday, February 15th: View from the Birdhouse
Tuesday, February 19th: A Holland Reads
Wednesday, February 20th: Thoughts on This ‘n That
Thursday, February 21st: Patricia’s Wisdom
Monday, February 25th: Amy’s Book-et List
Tuesday, February 26th: Books and Bindings
Wednesday, February 27th: A Chick Who Reads




Thursday, January 24, 2019

Today's Special - - My Kind of Forever






I'm happy to welcome Tracy Brogan and the Montlake Romance tour for My Kind of Forever to the blog today. Tracy Brogan is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Her stories never fail to warm my heart and tickle my funny bone. In fact, I laughed so loud and so often while reading My Kind of Forever that I was surprised the person in the condo next door didn't start pounding on the wall...or knock on my door to find out what was so funny so they could enjoy it too! 

I've fallen in love with Brogan's Trillium Bay and the characters who live there. If you're looking for stories that makes you sigh with satisfaction...smile with joy...maybe shed a few tears...and laugh until your sides hurt, then this is the series for you. And, if you want to start at the beginning, don't miss book one in the Trillium Bay series: My Kind of You. It's currently on sale in e-book format at only $1.99. I loved it!





My Kind of Forever
By Tracy Brogan
Trillium Bay - Book 2
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Release Date: January 22, 2019
As the youngest mayor Trillium Bay has ever elected, Brooke Callaghan wants to prove she’s up to the challenge. She’s stepping out of her practical teacher flats and into her sister’s treacherously high heels…with disastrous results. But if she’s going to (literally) stumble her first day on the job, why not fall into the arms of a handsome stranger?

Leo Walker is a rarity on Wenniway Island. Not only handsome, he’s also single, funny, and—most importantly—interested in Brooke. Unfortunately, his reasons for being on the island are temporary, so in spite of the undeniable chemistry between them, he’s not a forever kind of guy.

When a private investigator arrives with news of a jewel thief hiding on the island, Brooke finds herself dealing with one kerfuffle after another, and Leo proves to be a delicious distraction. What does she really know about him, though? And the biggest question of all? Does this short-term romance hold the possibility of long-term love?



Guest Post:
The Risks (and Rewards) of Dating in A Small Town
by Tracy Brogan

MY KIND OF FOREVER is the second book in the Trillium Bay series set on a small island in Northern Michigan, and tells the story of thirty-five year old Brooke Callaghan who has just been elected as the youngest, and first female, mayor the town has ever had. As the oldest of three sisters, Brooke is accustomed to taking charge and bossing others around, but the stodgy, long-time members of the decisively not-modern city council are determined to keep the status quo. In fact, the only one who seems to take Brooke seriously is Leo Walker, the new bartender whose reasons for being on the island are both short-term and known to him alone. 



Despite a budding attraction to Leo, Brooke knows she needs to focus on mastering her new job, especially when rumors of a jewel thief hiding out on the island begin to circulate and the well-established rumor mills goes into overdrive. And speaking of rumors, Brooke is more than a little concerned with what the townspeople might say if they discover she and Leo are spending time alone. Coming from such a small community, in this case a village with a winter population of just six hundred people, people’s private lives rarely stay private, and modest, pragmatic Brooke doesn’t like the extra attention. Especially since a bad relationship from her past has left her overly cautious.

Although determined to prove to her neighbors and family she’s got what it takes to be a great mayor, with Leo’s encouragement, Brooke comes to realize she’s also entitled to address a few of the more personal aspects of her life, such as finding romance. But when things with Leo get rocky, she falls back into old patterns, believing that love is too elusive and not for women like her. Fortunately, the local community knows otherwise. They see the real Brooke, the one she thinks is hidden. They know her dedication and intelligence and worth, and they know she deserves to have it all. They know she deserves to have a forever kind of love. And so does Leo.

Excerpt: My Kind of Forever

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Leo said after everyone else had left and I remained seated in the small meeting room holding my aching head in my hands. “But it sounds like you have your work cut out for you.”

Wow. Did I ever. I’d just spent the past two hours listening to so-called adults bickering about a litany of arbitrary topics. Should Polly’s Popcorn Shop be allowed to sell day-old products? Could the street sweepers add five minutes to their afternoon break? Who was going to play Santa during the Christmas Parade if Harry didn’t come back in time? And the biggest topic of the day? Did everyone see the awnings Tasty Pastries had put up, and who on earth had approved that?
“It’s like they couldn’t even hear me talking,” I said, looking up at him for a response, just to reassure myself that I was, in fact, speaking out loud.
He picked up an empty glass with one hand while wiping a ring of condensation off the table with a damp rag. “I’m not sure they could hear each other talking. Seemed like a lot of monologuing without any listening.”
“But I had an agenda.” I shook my paper at him, now covered in notes that I’d scribbled in the margins about all the other things I wanted to discuss. Things I would have discussed if I could have gotten a word in edgewise. The only one who didn’t interrupt me was my own father, but that’s because he didn’t say anything the entire time. Not unusual for him, but I had hoped to demonstrate a little more power over that cluster of clucking hens. “They were worse than teenagers. I have so many great ideas, but all they care about is the awnings.”
Leo wiped another spot off the table. “What ideas?” He gazed down at me, and I noted how dark blue his eyes were. Depths-of-the-ocean kind of blue. The kind of eyes that made every glance feel significant, even if it meant nothing at all. A flutter of something long-forgotten tickled inside my veins. Attraction. Followed by an immediate need to ignore it.
“Oh, all kinds of ideas.” I smiled tiredly and pushed myself up, because it was nearly five thirty and the Palomino Pub would start filling up with the evening crew pretty soon. “I’ll get out of the way now so you can have the room for dinner guests.”
“Speaking of dinner,” he said, “I’m new around here, so I was wondering, what restaurants do you like?”
“Oh, we have lots of great places to eat. All price ranges. The Windemere Grill is right down on the corner. There’s the Imperial Hotel dining room if you want something elegant. The Feast Well Bistro, Carmen’s Café, and Tate’s Tavern on the Bluff are good, too. At the tavern, you can watch the sun set behind Petoskey Bridge. It’s a great view. And for breakfast, I recommend Link & Patty’s Breakfast Buffet. The pink piggy décor is a little much, but the pancakes are the best.”
“Are you suggesting we have dinner and breakfast?” His dark eyebrow arched just as the corner of his mouth quirked in a ridiculously endearing fashion.
I pushed in my chair with an abrupt scrape. “Excuse me?”
“I was inviting you to dinner. You were inviting me to breakfast.”
That flutter of attraction multiplied even as my mouth fell open for a second. I’m sure it was a great look on me. “I wasn’t. And you weren’t. Were you?”
He laughed, and even though it might have been at my expense, the sound of it sent a flush over my skin and a tingle to places that hadn’t tingled for a very long time.
“I was inviting you to dinner, but not very well, apparently. I’ve been on the island a few days, but I don’t know anyone here, so would you like to have dinner with me?”
I was starving. And he was handsome. And new in town. And looked to be roughly my age. There was no history, no baggage, no reason to say no. But it had been so long since anyone had asked me out, it nearly felt improper. Everyone knew me around here. Everyone would know that we’d had dinner, and certainly everyone would have an opinion about it. And it’s not as if we could go someplace private because there was no place private on the entire island. And there was that issue of the flutter. I didn’t want to be fluttering. Fluttering led to heartbreak.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Brogan is a three-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist for her Bell Harbor series. She writes fun, funny stories about ordinary people finding extraordinary love, and she lives in Michigan with her two brilliant daughters and their two intellectually challenged dogs. She loves to hear from readers, so check out her website at www.tracybrogan.com. You can also follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tracybroganwriter.