Friday, July 11, 2025

Book Mail


 


The Wives of Hawthorne Lane by Stephanie DeCarolis

In this twisty tale of domestic suspense, four neighbors become the prime suspects in a murder investigation that reveals the sinister underside of their picture-perfect community.






The Forget-Me-Not LIbrary by Heather Webber

A detour. A chance encounter. Two women who alter the pages of each other’s story.




The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves by Christine Nolfi

An antiques dealer and an enigmatic heiress embark on a revelatory friendship in a haunting and hopeful novel about family ties, secrets, and belonging by the bestselling author of A Heart Like Home.



The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

An unputdownable novel of loves lost and found, shocking secrets―and the power of female friendship.




Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

A woman must confront the demons of her past when she attempts to fix up her childhood home in this devilishly clever take on the haunted house novel from the USA Today bestselling author.






AUDIOBOOK-The Lost Book of First Loves by         RaeAnne Thayne

From New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne comes a brand-new story about two women, a family secret and a lost manuscript that changes everything…



Thursday, July 10, 2025

Now Live! Shattered Promise by Penelope Black


 Shattered Promise by Penelope Black is now live!


Mason Porter: Avalon Falls' hottest single dad, my brother's best friend, and the only man who’s ever broken my heart.
Oh, and now he's my neighbor.

I came back to town without telling anyone—just me, a half-forgotten cabin I inherited, and the quiet hope that a few stolen weeks might be enough to outrun the pressure closing in from all sides.

I didn’t expect to run into Mason and his son by the creek. I didn’t expect him to keep my secret. And I definitely didn’t expect the way it would feel to slip into his life like I’d always belonged there.

Now I’m living next door, falling into a rhythm that feels dangerously close to peace. I watch his son while he works, cook dinner more nights than not, and for the first time in years, I don’t feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.

For a little while, it works.
Until it doesn’t.

Because this town has secrets, and I’m not the only one running from something.
Someone is watching me.
And the danger I thought I left behind might be closer than I ever imagined.

He was never mine to begin with.
But loving him now might cost me everything.

tropes:

brother's best friend
small town
single dad
forced proximity

who hurt you?
one MF bed


Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://bit.ly/4i67Va5

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/XLNc4x

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3XIFNT4

Release Blitz for Crazy Love by Willow Aster


 Crazy Love by Willow Aster is now live!

A small town, marriage of convenience, single dad, sports romance from USA Today Bestselling Author Willow Aster

Penn Hudson. Sexy. Intense. Gorgeous.
The star running back of the Colorado Mustangs.
Well-known playboy and consummate bachelor.
We met in the Bahamas.
I knew exactly who he was.
He had no idea who I was.
Yet for a few blissful hours, it didn’t matter.
We had an unbelievable connection…
Something special that held so much promise.
Then I unexpectedly had to leave and never had a chance to say goodbye.

Fast-forward to today, when I am about to see Penn again,
and he’s going to find out exactly who he was kissing in the Bahamas.
I’m excited about my new job and returning to my hometown of Silver Hills.
But seeing him every day won't be easy,
especially with the lingering memory of his touch and the attraction that still burns between us.
When he faces an obstacle in adopting a young boy he’s mentored for years,
I offer him a solution I never thought I’d make:
A fake marriage.
He needs to show stability and a squeaky-clean public image,
and I figure, how hard could it be to play house?
But as time goes by, nothing feels fake anymore.

I’d always planned on getting married for love,
but sometimes we make once-in-a-lifetime sacrifices.
I just hope I won’t be devastated in the process.




Crazy Love is book five in the standalone The Single Dad Playbook series.




Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://geni.us/Crazylove

Goodreads: https://geni.us/CrazyLoveGR 



Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Release Blitz for Changing Rules by Anastasija White

 



Changing Rules by Anastasija White is now live!




Isabella Lawson is the happiest she’s ever been, simply because Alexander Walker loves her. With him by her side, Bella begins to understand her worth. The only problem? Not everyone wants to see her in Xander’s life. 

Schemes, betrayals, and secrets lead to the shattering of two hearts, and Bella’s best option is to leave Boston and focus on herself for a change. She puts rules in place to keep from getting hurt again, and when she returns to Boston, she’s stronger than ever. 

Xander’s love for Bella has never wavered, despite how painful it was to be cut out of her life so easily. 

When Bella returns to Boston, Xander’s committed to convincing her they’re the perfect match, to change the rules she set for herself. Rekindling their passion is tempting, but will succumbing to their desires only cause more pain? And will the person lurking in the shadows destroy them for good?





 Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/4kaNRFb      


Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4dJT1G4 



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Meet Anastasija White



Anastasija is an indie author who spends her days creating swoon-worthy and steamy stories that will make your heart race. Her writing is filled with flawed and relatable characters that you'll find yourself rooting for. Whether you're in the mood for angsty drama or steamy romance, her stories take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions with guaranteed happy endings.

When she's not writing, she loves to lose herself in reading books, rewatching her favorite tv-shows and spending time with her son. She loves traveling and exploring the world, and then including places she visited in her novels.

If you're a fan of romance that leaves you breathless and begging for more, Anastasija is the author for you. Connect with her on Instagram and TikTok, where she loves to hear from her readers and share sneak peeks of her books and upcoming projects.

 

Connect with Anastasija

Website | https://www.anastasijawhite.com   

Goodreads | https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29668972.Anastasija_White   

Amazon | https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anastasija-White/author/B0BWVDGZS7    

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/ms.anastasia.white/      

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/anastasija.white.author/      

Spotlight for Bottom of the Breath by Jayne Mills

 

Bottom of the Breath: A Novel by Jayne Mills

Published:  July 8, 2025 by She Writes Press

Synopsis: After crashing into a devastating revelation, Cyd’s tranquil life on the Florida panhandle is further upended when she receives a letter announcing an inheritance from an estranged aunt. The inheritance contains mysterious “items of a personal nature” which Cyd must collect in person halfway across the country. In a last attempt to salvage her deteriorating marriage, Cyd agrees to travel with her husband on what he promises—and she questions—will be the trip of a lifetime.


As they set out, a hurricane threatens their hometown. Soon, fueled by the growing threat of the storm and the tension brewing between them, the couple’s long-suppressed problems erupt. Cyd digs deep for the courage to continue the journey on her own, unsure if either her home or her marriage will survive.

Once in Phoenix, Cyd learns the strange details of the inheritance and a decades-old family secret. But what was the whole truth? Clues and instinct lead Cyd to Sedona and then to the Grand Canyon. She descends into the vast chasm alone searching for answers to newly raised questions and age-old mysteries. She steps off the beaten path, literally, knowing she must make peace with her pain-filled past and her uncertain future.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads
Purchase your own copy on AmazonBarnes and Noble, BAM, Target, Walmart

Author Bio: 
Jayne Mills is a financial advisor who has secretly nurtured a lifelong dream of writing a novel. She expressed her literary aspirations through  Financial Wellness Monthly , a newsletter combining her interests in finance, yoga, and meditation. Additionally, she developed a program called The Wealth-Wellness Connection, designed to help people better understand their complex relationships with money. Jayne holds degrees in journalism and finance and is a registered yoga teacher. In recent years, her favorite way to vacation is as the navigator in a custom van (she hates talking maps) on a quest to visit every national park with her partner (he knows better than to  ever  let her drive) and their Border Collie, Elvis. She lives peacefully in St. Augustine, Florida.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Spotlight for These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean

 

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean

Published: July 8, 2025 by Ballantine Books
Genres:  Summer Reads, Romance

Taken from Goodreads:  New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean’s first foray into contemporary fiction, with a sharp, sexy novel about a wealthy New England family's long-overdue reckoning with hidden desires, destructive secrets…and one week that threatens to tear them apart


Alice isn't like the other Storm siblings. While the rest stayed to battle for their parents' approval, attention, and untold billions, she left, building her own life beyond the family’s name and influence. Nothing could induce her to come back, except the shocking death of her larger-than-life father. Now back on the family’s private island off the Rhode Island coast, she plans to keep her head down, pay the last of her respects, and leave the minute the funeral is over.

Unfortunately, her father had other plans. The eccentric, manipulative patriarch left his widow and their grown children a final challenge--an inheritance game designed to humiliate, devastate, and unravel the Storm family in ways both petty and life-altering. The rules of the game are clear: stay on the island for one week, complete the tasks, receive the inheritance.

One week on Storm Island is an impossible task for Alice. Every corner of the sprawling old house is bursting dysfunctional chaos: Her older sister’s secret love affair. Her brother’s incessant mansplaining. Her sister-in-law’s unapologetic greed. Her younger sister’s obsession with "vibes". Her mother’s penchant for stirring up competition between her children. And all under the stern, watchful gaze of Jack Dean, her father’s enigmatic, unfairly good-looking, second-in-command. It will be a miracle if Alice manages to escape the week unscathed.

A story about the transformative power of grief, love, and family, this luscious novel is at once deliciously clever and surprisingly tender, exploring past secrets, present truths, and futures forged in the wake of wild summer storms.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon


Meet the author (taken from Goodreads):  New York Times, Washington Post & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean is the author of historical romance novels. Translated into more than twenty-five languages, the books that make up “The MacLeaniverse” are beloved by readers worldwide.

In addition to her novels, Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place as a feminist text and a cultural bellwether. A columnist for the New York Times, the Washington Post and Bustle, she is the co-host of the weekly romance podcast, Fated Mates. A Rhode Island native, Sarah now lives in New York City.

Book Review for All the Men I've Loved Again by Christine Pride

 

All the Men I've Loved Again by Christine Pride

Published:  July 8, 2025 by Atria Books

Genre:  Romance, Fiction, Contemporary

Taken from Goodreads:  From Christine Pride, the beloved coauthor of the Good Morning America Book Club Pick We Are Not Like Them, comes a dazzling solo debut novel about a woman who finds herself in the impossible situation of being in love with the same two men who won her heart in her early twenties again as she nears forty.

It’s 1999, TLC’s “No Scrubs” is topping the charts, y2k is looming on everyone’s mind, and Cora Belle has arrived at college ready to change her life. She’s determined to grow out of the shy, sheltered girl who attended an all-white prep in her all-white suburb. Cora is ready to conquer her fears and find her people, her place in the world, and herself.

What she’s totally unprepared for is Lincoln, with his dark skin, charming southern drawl, and that smile. Because how can you ever prepare yourself for the rollercoaster of first love with all its glorious, bewildering contradictions? Just when Cora thinks she’s got things figured out, a series of surprises and secrets threaten to upend everything she thought she understood about love and loyalty.

In the wake of these developments and a shocking tragedy, a new man enters Cora’s life—Aaron—further complicating everything. He’s the only one who seems to get her, and the letters she writes to him when the two are separated reveal the truth of their inescapable connection. There’s only one problem—how can she fall in love with one man when her heart belongs to another?

Twenty years later, and Cora is all grown up, or mostly, and has cloaked herself in loneliness like a warm blanket. It’s the safest choice. But then an unexpected reconnection and a chance encounter puts her right back where she started. The same two men, the same agonizing decision.

Finding herself in this position—again—will test everything Cora thought she knew about fate, love, and most importantly, herself. All The Men I’ve Loved Again is a big-hearted coming-of-age story for anyone who’s thought what if about a past love and what it would be like to have a second chance.

 

My Thoughts:  The premise of this book is great.  Imagine getting a second chance at love.   A second chance at what you missed the first time.  Cora is finding that chance and taking full advantage. 

I liked learning about the 20-year-old Cora and seeing how she became a 40-year-old Cora.   The attractions and love that she felt in college are similar to what she is feeling again.   The choices she must make are not easy.   Who will she choose?  Lincoln or Aaron?

Cora is a difficult character for me.   I had a tough time connecting to her.   I wanted to like her, I wanted to be invested in her choices but I never got there.  I felt like she was shallow and not able to think on her own.   She went to her friends for every decision she had to make, unable to make the decisions herself. 

All the Men I’ve Loved Again is Christine Pride’s solo debut book.  I will give her another chance with her next book.

Thank you Atria Books for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon


Meet the Author (taken from Goodreads):  Christine Pride is a writer, editor, and longtime publishing veteran. She’s held editorial posts at many different trade imprints, including Doubleday, Broadway, Crown, Hyperion, and Simon & Schuster. As an editor, Christine has published a range of books, with a special emphasis on inspirational stories and memoirs, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. As a freelance editorial consultant, she does select editing and proposal/content development, as well as teaching and coaching, and pens a regular column—“Race Matters”—for Cup of Jo. She lives in New York City.

 

 

Monday, July 7, 2025

Book Review for Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan

 

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan

Published: June 17, 2025 by MIRA

Genre:  Romantic Mystery, Books about Books, Summer Read

Taken from Goodreads:  In this sun-dappled mystery from New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan, a risk-averse bibliophile gets in over her head when strange notes in a book draw her into a real-life investigation.

Mia Crawford is responsible to a fault. She has to be. Between her high-demand job and taking care of her grandmother and her cats, she has little time for anything else. What time she does have, she pours into reading. Mysteries, romances, thrillers…books filled with women who are far more impulsive than she would ever dream of being. Now, forced into taking a long-overdue vacation, she finds herself on a luxurious private island where she just might have a chance to reinvent herself—for a little while, anyway. She can explore the island. Flirt shamelessly with a cute bartender. Have a vacation fling. Live like a heroine in one of her favorite novels.

Or she can curl up with a good book on the beach. Turns out reinventing yourself is easier planned than done. But when gossipy notes written in the margins of an old book turn out to be clues to the disappearance of another guest, Mia finds herself diving headfirst into a dangerous adventure. With everyone at the resort hiding secrets of their own, she’ll have to solve this real-life mystery before she becomes the next target. 

My Thoughts:  Allison Brennan is a must-read author for me.  She is an author that I go to for a thriller mystery that will keep me turning pages and wanting the book to never end.  Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds has a different feel than her other books.  It is more of a romance book than her other books but the mystery part is still there.  I enjoyed every page of this book. 

I love the setting of an island resort.  Mia visits as a single guest on an island filled with couples.   She immediately finds herself wrapped up in solving a murder of a single woman.  The clues she finds take her on quite the adventure and have her meeting many unique guests.  I love that each guest has their own story and could be the murderer or the reason the woman was murdered.  

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds is a fun beach book.  The perfect summer read. 

Thank you MIRA for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon



Meet the Author (taken from her website): New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan believes life is too short to be bored, so she had five kids and writes three books a year.

Born and raised in Northern California, Allison dropped out of college after two years and puttered around trying to figure out what to do with her life (bartender, campaign manager, graphic designer, administrative assistant, waitress—she tried a lot of things while also writing stories in her free time). She ended up working as a consultant in the California State Legislature for 13 years before taking a huge leap of faith and quitting in 2005 after she sold her first book. The Prey came out in January of 2006 and won the Borders Books “Bestselling Debut Author” of the year. September 2025 marks the publication of her 50th book.

After writing 12 romantic thrillers and a supernatural trilogy, Allison began her long-running Lucy Kincaid series which is currently at 17 books and 6 novellas. Remember the first sentence about being bored? Allison knows if she’s bored writing, her readers will be bored reading, so she also wrote five cold case mysteries featuring Maxine Revere, an investigative reporter, and then put Lucy on hiatus to write thrillers about Kara Quinn & Matt CostaMake It Out Alive, book 7 in the Quinn & Costa series, comes out in January of 2026.

And just to keep things interesting, she wrote two books about former US Marshal Regan Merritt, and started an Arizona-based mystery series about a family of private investigators (Angelhart Investigations). When she gets a good idea she wants to explore, she also writes standalone novels. North of Nowhere is a thriller set in a blizzard in Montana, and Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds is a romantic mystery set in the Caribbean.

Allison continues to hit bestseller lists, though she is still waiting for the elusive New York Times hardcover list. Someday, she thinks with eternal optimism! She has also been nominated for best romantic suspense five times (RWA), won the Daphne du Maurier award twice, the RT Reviewers Choice award twice, and was nominated for the Thriller award by International Thriller Writers for Cold SnapShe’s also thrilled that the narrator of her Angelhart series, Hillary Huber, won an Audie for You’ll Never Find Me.

Allison loves research, and while sometimes she gets things wrong, she strives for accuracy and authenticity in her books. (However, entertaining readers will always come first.) To that end, she has gone through the FBI Citizens Academy where they let her blow something up, toured Quantico, visited the morgue, viewed an autopsy, participated in FBI SWAT training scenarios (as a victim and a bad girl!), and been on several police ride alongs. She even went on a “field trip” the Folsom State Prison where the assistant warden explained—seriously—that we needed to take care not to be taken hostage because they don’t negotiate with prisoners. Her exact words may have been something like, “If we won’t negotiate for our corrections officers, we certainly aren’t going to negotiate for a bunch of writers.”

In 2019, after Brennan #3 graduated from high school, Allison and her family moved to Arizona with their assorted pets (though they had to leave the chickens behind with a former neighbor). Now an (almost) empty nester, she and her husband of 30+ years thoroughly enjoy their grandson and (no pressure) any future grandchildren their kids grant them.

Allison is active on FacebookX, and Instagram, so if you want to keep up with what she’s doing, what she’s reading, and what she’s writing, those are the places to follow. Check out her blog at Murder She Writes which she tries to write at least once a week, but usually it’s once a quarter. She responds to all email personally, so give her a couple days if you reach out.

For fun Allison reads (surprise!), watches baseball and classic movies, hikes, and enjoys her swimming pool when the weather turns hot.

 

 

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Book Blitz for The Heartbeats of Aloha by Brooke Gilbert with a GIVEAWAY

 

The Heartbeats of Aloha
Brooke Gilbert
(Under the Hawaiian Stars)
Publication date: July 1st 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

𝙎𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙𝙮, 𝙧𝙚𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙚. 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧-𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧?

Reef has been in love with Luna since they were kids. As a secret romance novelist, he pours his unrequited feelings into his books, reliving their love on the page. But when Luna’s uncle proposes a fake relationship to thwart a stunt her PR wants to pull, Reef’s wildest dreams and worst fears are about to collide.

Luna never stopped loving Reef, even when she broke his heart to protect him. Music became her refuge, but fame brought unexpected complications. Now, fate has brought them back together, but the demons of their past threaten to consume them both.

As Reef and Luna navigate their rekindled feelings amidst a whirlwind of secrets, heartache, and desire, they’ll discover that sometimes reality is even more extraordinary than fiction. When their truths come to light, will their love survive, or will they wish they’d left the past buried in the sands of time?

The Heartbeats of Aloha is a poignant, swoon-worthy standalone in the International Soulmate series. Immerse yourself in:

  • A heart-melting second chance romance
  • The lush, tropical beauty of Hawaii
  • A fake relationship that feels all too real
  • Deep, nuanced portrayals of mental health and disability
  • Unforgettable characters, including an adorable canine companion

If you love emotional journeys filled with tender moments, sizzling chemistry, and the healing power of love, then Brooke Gilbert’s moving story is a must-read.

Let the rhythm of the islands guide you to your next great romance. Grab The Heartbeats of Aloha today and lose yourself in Reef and Luna’s unforgettable love story!

Content note: This book contains discussions of anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

As soon as the doors closed, I turned to her. “Luna,” I breathed. I didn’t know what to do, but I was being drawn to her, the tether from earlier pulling at me even harder. I placed my hands on either side of her hips, grabbing the cold railing with everything I had, desperate to be close to her.

Then I leaned into her slightly. “He’s just an idiot who’s upset he lost the best thing he’s ever had. Nothing in the world could make me want to ‘return’ you. If you were mine, I’d do anything to keep you.”

Her eyes became even glossier as they drifted up to meet mine. “You don’t even know what it is.” She looked away. “I didn’t think I needed to tell you since this is all . . .”

“This is all what?” I asked her more pointedly. Her lips parted, but she said nothing. I could see the ghost of the word ‘fake’ on them. I gripped the railing tighter. “I never wanted any of this to be pretend. Not one second of it has been for me. Has it been for you?”

She shook her head methodically, as if knowing what she was unleashing, and my lips curved upward at her response. Especially when her body gravitated toward mine like she couldn’t stand to be apart.

I started to remove my glasses, knowing this was the first time my feelings and intentions would be on full display for her. The first time, nothing would be covered up under the guise of Louis’ plan.

“Luna, why did you write One More Hour? Was what you said on stage true?” I asked with urgency.

But her face said it all. I didn’t need the words her lips mouthed so sensually . . .“Yes . . . It was you I wanted. I’ve always wanted you. I still do.”

As I went to pull off my glasses, she stopped me, shaking her head emphatically. I felt like a dork, with the goofiest grin on display.

“What? You want me to keep them on? I was trying to look less like a nerd.” I laughed nervously as I leaned even closer to her, my hands clutching the railing beside her.

“Yes, they have to stay on. It’s required.” But she was only halfway teasing, and I loved it. “Do you know how many fantasies I’ve had about this?”

“No, why don’t you tell me?” I began coyly.

“Enough to have a bet with myself about how fast I can fog them up.” She smirked.

“Oh, I’m seeing the appeal now. Maybe this nerd thing can have some perks,” I mumbled. But all my cockiness left me as I became overwhelmed by her. Especially as she reached up for the collar of my dress shirt and tugged me toward her. The smell of the plumeria flower in her hair and the scent of Luna overcoming any hesitation. I wanted to bottle her scent along with this moment.

Our faces were only inches apart, warmth radiating between us. And I was ready to close any of the distance between us. Need taking over in a way I’d never known, when she breathed out, “Why didn’t you ever kiss me?”

“I couldn’t tell if you wanted me to.” A pain twisted at her cheeks with my words.

There was a hard tug on my shirt collar. A very clear sign of her want. And with that, all space and time vanished. It was just her lips on mine as I leaned into every part of her. Every part I knew intimately and loved . . . all of her. Allowing myself to taste her for the very first time.

I pulled back suddenly, and her eyes looked simultaneously confused and incredibly disappointed.

“Wait,” I interjected, and her face fell. I pushed off of the handrails and moved toward the elevator pad. Quickly, I pulled the emergency button, halting the elevator.

“Reef, you can’t do that.” Her eyes flashed with mixed amusement and sheer concern.

With a confidence I didn’t know I possessed, I strode back over to her. “Oh, but I think I already did.” I readjusted my glasses to look at her, the ones that were already fogged up. “Now, where were we?”

She laughed as my hands slid around the back of her thighs to pick her up, gently propping her against the elevator railing. Her legs seamlessly wrapped around me like they were always meant to be there.

“Oh yeah, here.” The words tumbled out of me.

Luna only laughed harder and then raked her hands upward through my hair, pulling me in with more force this time. I met her heady passion with a strong desire of my own this time. But I was becoming increasingly aware that I had kind of cornered her. And what started out feeling sexy now felt like it could cause anxiety. And that’s the last thing I ever wanted. I spun us around, effectively swapping our positions, hoping to give her more space and control. I was absolutely fine with her cornering me.

Luna looked at me and her legs squeezed even tighter around me as her fingers dug deeper. Sending shockwaves through my scalp and back. I guess I’d made the right call. Especially when her lips melted over mine and then started roaming, making use of my neck in ways no one had ever properly done before. I had gotten everything wrong in my novels. No kiss I wrote could ever compare to this. I was going to need to make a few revisions.

“Miss!” the intercom burst forth from the elevator speaker. We looked at each other with wide eyes. “Miss, please disentangle yourself and step away from the gentleman.” I started laughing and Luna gave me a look that said it wasn’t funny. “We’re going to be overriding the elevator panel and resuming normal functions as soon as . . . you . . . huh hmm . . . Remove yourself.”

But Luna just stayed glued to me, like a scared monkey. Her face was a mixture of shock and embarrassment. “Ma’am,” the booming voice rang out, “Please don’t make me call security.”

“Yeah, stop mauling me, Luna. Geez.” Now she was laughing, too, as I helped her stand beside me. She seemed as off balance as I felt. Her knees even buckled at the point of contact with the floor. With a sly smile, I pointed to the other corner of the elevator. “You better go over there, just to be safe.”

She just shoved me lightly, like when we were kids, and the elevator started moving. The booming voice thanked us for our ‘cooperation,’ no matter how unenthusiastically we had complied with the request. And then Luna’s long, petite fingers found their way in between mine. A peaceful reverberation echoing throughout my body when she did. She was like that first cool breeze coming off the ocean at the end of the hottest day. She was my happy place. Everything that made our island special, she encompassed it all so well. The heartbeats of this place were the people. The heartbeats were her.

My eyes dared to glance over at her, and the intimacy of this moment changed me. I would never look at love the same way. She had just cracked something wide open inside of me. Right at the place that had been scarred so many years ago, and then forever placed herself inside it.


Author Bio:

Brooke Gilbert is a Tennessee native, a microbiology graduate of the University of Tennessee, and a border collie mom. She is, as you may have already guessed, a hopeless romantic and a lover of Jane Austen. When she isn’t writing, she works as a jewelry designer, an audiobook narrator, and a graphic designer. Her writing features characters with autoimmune disorders, something she deals with herself. She believes it is important for these types of characters to be seen in modern literature and started writing so she could see someone like herself in literature. She is considered a medical mystery and has several rare autoimmune disorders. These disorders caused her to withdraw from Physician Assistant School, but she is happy to be pursuing her dreams of designing, creating, and writing. She thanks God for leading her heart on this new path and recites “perhaps this is the moment for which you were created” in times of doubt (Esther 4:14).

She loves watching classic films (thrillers and romantic comedies, too), reading, playing the ukulele, painting, dancing, Pilates, and spending time with her dog, family, and friends. One of her favorite quotes is from Flashdance: “When you give up on your dreams, you die.” She believes that if you’re waiting to pursue your dreams, stop waiting and start doing. Your time is now. And may you never stop being a hopeless romantic. Contrary to popular belief, it’s a very good quality. She’s still looking for her Mr. Darcy. Visit brookegilbertauthor.com to connect and stay updated on her latest projects.

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