Beauty in the Binding: #RomBks4Chris19

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Friday, December 27, 2019

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Santa Cam by Maria Hoagland

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Santa Cam

(A MyHeartChanel Romance)

By Maria Hoagland

Sweet Contemporary Romance

Hardcover and ebook, 206 Pages

October 28th 2019 by Red Leaves Press

♥♥ The one behind the camera could be his best match yet. ♥♥

All professional soccer player Camden Sharpe wants for Christmas is to get home to Cobble Creek, Wyoming, for snow and family time. But when a brawl video surfaces online, Cam is forced to stay in Texas to clean up the public relations mess if he ever wants to get off the fans’ Naughty List. His manager-imposed community service lands Camden in a Santa suit surrounded by little kids with long lists of demands, but his attention is on his pretty elf assistant. He’s sure he’s seen her somewhere before, and he’s not convinced it was all that good.

Talia Thomas hopes Santa doesn’t recognize her. A lot of things in her life have changed since they butted heads a while back—including the trajectory of her career—and he has no idea he was the one who changed everything. Once a network reporter, Talia now runs MyHeartChannel Talia’s Truth Cam, but views are falling, advertisers are disappearing, and Talia’s excitement for her stories has frozen over. She’s tired of depressing news and shattered hearts, but it’s her job to tell the truth.

As Talia and Cam set out on a mission to convince the other the see the good in the world around them, they soon discover that only looking for the good sometimes means missing the truth that was right in front of them. Can Camden and Talia ever trust each other enough to move on from the mistakes of their past?

♥ If you love Hallmark channel Christmas movies, this full-length sweet romance novel will brighten your day any time of year! Always clean and wholesome, Maria Hoagland's books can be read as standalone, but often have character cameos from other books. Don't miss any of her uplifting collections of hears, homes, and happily ever afters! ♥♥

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Excerpt

Pulling back the curtain, he watched thick flakes swirl through the light of the streetlamp in front of his house. At least a couple of inches had accumulated—not bad for a place where he hadn’t expected to ever see snow. He itched to go out in it, but it wouldn’t be fun alone.

He found the number in his contacts and called, hoping Talia had her phone on do not disturb if it was too late for him to be calling. She answered on the second ring.

“Are you afraid of the little storm, Cam?” she crooned before he could say hello.

Point for her. Her spunkiness was exactly why he liked spending time with her. “Do you have an early morning?”

“No . . .” She drew it out, slowly enunciating the word. “Why?” she followed up quickly.

He ignored her question. “How adventurous are you feeling?”

“Why?” This time she asked with more suspicion. While she didn’t exactly answer, at least this time she sounded a little more eager.

“Put on your snow boots and parka. I’m coming over.” He was going to make an order, but decided he ought not to leave it there. “Okay?”

“But it’s snowing . . .”

The unspoken sentiment was that she was worried about him driving and getting in an accident. He’d grown up driving in this kind of weather. “That’s the whole point. And why I suggested boots and a coat.” If that was her only objection, he wasn’t going to let that keep him from coming. “I’ll see you in a few.”

Getting out the door took more work than he’d planned. First, Cam had to dig through a few boxes to locate the appropriate winter attire. While looking, he ran back and forth to the stove, throwing together a thermos-ful of his mom’s hot chocolate. As long as he didn’t scald it while scrounging for matching gloves, it would be a nice addition to the evening he had planned.

Dressed in normal winter clothes but with a Santa cap on his head, Cam knocked on Talia’s door just before midnight. She opened to him, pulling on her knit cap and stepping outside.

She rushed to the balcony railing and put gloved hands in the puff of accumulated precipitation to look over it. “It’s so beauti—”

He didn’t let her finish her statement before he blasted her in the back with a snowball he’d had behind his back. It exploded like a bombshell, the white of the snow stark against her black coat, and she laughed, scooping snow from the railing for a retaliatory snowball. She wound up and let loose, and the ball hit him square in the chest, tiny ice shards ricocheting onto his face.

“I was going to thank you for driving over here in this.” Her tone teasingly insinuated she no longer felt that way. She scooted farther down the landing, capturing more snow but never taking her eyes off Camden. “But I know why you came now.”

“Is that right?” He tossed a handful of snow in her general direction, but it didn’t go higher than their waists and then floated like pixie dust onto her boots.

They sparred down three flights of stairs, and only once did he need to reach out to keep her from slipping down several steps. They made their way across the first-floor walkway, tossing half-formed snowballs at each other and trying to keep quiet so they wouldn’t wake anyone in the apartments. When they made it into the open lawn, however, she slammed him with a good one at the base of his neck, and snow fell down the back of his coat.

“Just for that . . .” He lunged at her, grabbing her around the waist and swinging her around. If there’d been more than the inch or two, he would have dragged her to the ground, but as it was, everywhere they scraped snow away left soggy mud.

She strained against him for half a second, but when he loosened his grasp, she grabbed him around the arms, pinning them to his sides, and jostled him back and forth as he had her. Her mischievous smile was inches from his, and without thinking, he leaned forward until her lips were under his.

He hadn’t actually planned this, had not come with this intent in mind, but there she was, laughing and happy and oh so beautiful in the moonlight.

About the Author

Maria Hoagland writes about hearts, homes, and happily ever afters. Known for her fun and flirty sweet romance and women's fiction, Maria's novels make great book club choices. She's published over a dozen books including two Whitney Award finalists, and has no plans to stop writing any time soon. She is a member of the Storymakers Guild and Indie Author Hub, and is currently serving as the Chair for the Storymakers board of directors.

Tour Schedule

(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

December 11th: Launch
December 12th: Julie Coulter Bellon - Truth or Dare
December 13th: Delaney Cameron - The Gift of Love
December 14th: Raneé S. Clark - Her Country Christmas Date
December 15th: Stephanie Fowers - Robin and Marian
December 16th: Aspen Hadley - Blind Dates, Bridesmaids & Other Disasters
December 17th: Maria Hoagland - Santa Cam
December 18th: Rachel John - The Christmas Bachelor Auction
December 19th: Sally Johnson - Dear Mr. Darcy
December 20th: D.E. Malone - Love Like Forever
December 21st: Melissa McClone - Mountain Rescue Romance Series
December 22nd: Brooke St. James - The Suite Life
December 23rd: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card.

Open internationally (as long as winner is eligible to receive prize).

Ends December 28, 2019.

ENTER HERE

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: His Christmas Wish by Melissa McClone

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Meet the members of Oregon Mountain Search and Rescue and watch them fall in love in Hood Hamlet with a little help from Christmas magic.

In His Christmas Wish, Jake Porter is burdened by guilt, believing he could have saved two friends during a climbing accident and kept Carly Bishop from the heart-wrenching loss of her fiancé and brother. When she arrives in town for the holidays, Jake wants to make amends so they can both move forward with their lives. As he helps Carly experience the magic of Christmas, will he also be able to open her heart to…love?

In Her Christmas Secret, Sean Hughes asks snowboarder Zoe Flynn to pose as his girlfriend at Thanksgiving dinner, which will take the pressure off him from his meddling family, who enjoy matchmaking. But when an injury occurs, the two are forced to continue their one-night ruse until the line between make-believe and reality blurs. Zoe, however, has a secret…a big one. Is their new relationship strong enough to withstand the truth?

In Her Christmas Kiss, Leanne Thomas works hard to be “one of the boys” at the fire station and on the mountain. After she rescues gorgeous, rookie firefighter Christian Welton, he glimpses a softer, more vulnerable side to her tough-as-nails personality and he’s intrigued. A surprise kiss under the mistletoe sparks a three-alarm fire, but something is holding her back. Will Christian’s kisses break through Leanne’s tough exterior and melt her heart?

In His Christmas Family, Bill Paulson invites two wayward travelers into his home. Something about Grace Wilcox, a widow, and her young son touches Bill’s heart, so he decides to give them a special Christmas. When attraction flares between Grace and Bill, she won’t gamble her heart on a hero and Bill doesn’t consider himself husband material. Can a little Christmas magic show them love and a family are worth the risks?

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Excerpt from His Christmas Wish

The door cracked open.

“Welcome back, Carly,” a male voice greeted her warmly.

She’d expected to see Hannah’s husband of two years, Garrett Willingham, but the man standing in the doorway looked nothing like the clean-cut, non-risk-taking, business-suit-wearing certified public accountant. This guy was too rugged, too fit, too…familiar.

“Jacob Porter.”

Over six feet tall with brown hair that fell past his collar, he still had piercing blue eyes, a killer smile, and a hot, hard body that made the girls, herself included, swoon back in high school. Those features had only improved with age.

Her pulse kicked up a notch. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.” His grin widened, the same way it had whenever he and Nick teased her. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry…” Simply thinking the word left a bitter taste in her mouth. She couldn’t bring herself to say it. “Season’s greetings. Where’s Hannah?”

“At a doctor’s appointment,” Jacob explained. “Garrett drove her. She didn’t know if they’d be home by the time you arrived or before the school bus dropped off Kendall and Austin, so they asked me to come over.”

Carly noticed Jacob’s clothes—a light blue button-down oxford shirt, khaki pants, and brown leather shoes. A bit more stylish than the T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers she remembered him wearing. He must have come from work.

“Thank you.” Though she wasn’t surprised. Jacob had always gone out of his way for them, a surrogate everything to what remained of the Bishop family. He’d found her the job in Philadelphia. He’d taught Nick’s two kids to ski and fish. He’d even introduced Hannah to Garrett.

“Come inside before you get too cold.” Jacob reached for Carly’s suitcase. His hand—big, callused, and warm—brushed hers. The accidental contact startled her, and she jerked away. “You city girls aren’t used to the temperatures up here.”

Forget the cold. She wasn’t used to her response to his touch. That was unusual for her. “Philadelphia gets cold, too.”

As she stepped inside, heat surrounded Carly, cocooning her with the inviting comforts of home. The homey touches—a fleece blanket on a chair, throw pillows, candles, and framed photos—were ones missing from her apartment.

His gaze ran the length of her. “You look the same.”

He looked better. “So does this place.”

And that somehow made everything…worse.

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Melissa McClone has written over forty-five sweet contemporary romance novels. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three children, two spoiled Norwegian Elkhounds, and cats who think they rule the house. They do!

Tour Schedule

(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

Tour Giveaway

1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card.

Open internationally (as long as winner is eligible to receive prize).

Ends December 28, 2019.

ENTER HERE

Friday, December 20, 2019

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Love Like Forever by D. E. Malone

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Love Like Forever

(Hearts in Hendricks #4)

By D.E. Malone

Sweet Contemporary Romance

Paperback and ebook, 234 Pages

October 3rd 2019

Stealing Her Heart Was Not In His Job Description

Romance is the last thing on Carmen Navarro’s mind. Up to her neck in student debt, she needs a teaching job, and she needs one fast. As if that wasn’t stressful enough, she’s also overseeing her parents’ renovation project—which would be easier if the carpenter on the job had a little more work ethic and a lot less swagger. She has no time for his flirty banter and affable charm. So why can’t she get him out of her head?

Matt Stetman is a catch. Everyone in Hendricks knows he’d give the shirt off his back to help a friend in need. He’s been told a time or two that he’s pretty delightful to be around too. But for some reason, the enigmatic Carmen seems immune to his charms.

Just as Matt begins to make headway—with the project and with Carmen—a secret from his past threatens to ruin everything. Can Carmen find the courage to trust Matt and take a shot at love? Or is the foundation of their relationship now broken beyond repair?

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Excerpt

“Wait, is this Carmen Navarro’s remodel?” Sean asked.

“Who’s Carmen Navarro?”

Sean tipped his chin, looking over Matt’s shoulder. “The woman walking up the driveway.”

Matt turned to look, but the sun had moved slightly and the glare on the hood blinded him. He squeezed his eyes shut, rubbed them, but still saw spots as he tried to focus on the figure coming toward them. Shoes hit the pavement in clipped measure and then stopped. Meanwhile, he couldn’t make out anything but a vague outline of this person with hands planted on her hips.

“Hi, Sean. I didn’t expect to see you here. Do you know who’s in charge here?” The voice was decidedly feminine, but it was also demanding, no-nonsense.

“That would be him,” Sean said, clapping Matt on the back.

There was a hint of humor in Sean’s voice. Thanks, bro. Throw me to the shark lady.

He wiped more tears from his burning eyes, hoping for some relief. “Except I can’t see at the moment,” he mumbled.

“You don’t need to see to give me an update. Also, a timeline for finishing would be appreciated too.”

Gradually, his vision cleared enough for Carmen Navarro to come into view.

If her eyes weren’t narrowed to slits and a frown hadn’t turned the corners of her generous lips downward, Matt would say she was the prettiest female he’d seen in a long time. There was a messy knot of black hair squeezed into a rubber band at the nape of her neck like she’d run out of time or patience. His eyes betrayed him again and he looked down to press his fingers against his eyelids. He noted her shoes while he did, since they’d announced her arrival so clearly. Those expensive strappy things that everyone seemed to be wearing. Turquoise toenails too.

Matt blinked, tears watering his cheeks. Despite the temporary handicap, he grinned. And he wasn’t blind enough to notice her checking out his current state of shirtlessness.

“I’m waiting,” she said, looking the other way when he caught her.

Oh, she wasn’t fooling anyone.

Other Books in the Series

(Linked to an Amazon affiliate link.)

About the Author

D.E. Malone writes sweet contemporary romance and is the author of the Hearts in Hendricks series. She also writes for middle grade audiences under Dawn Malone, and is the author of BINGO SUMMER and THE UPSIDE OF DOWN. Her work has also appeared in Highlights for Children, Pockets, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. She loves traveling to places off the beaten path which inspire the small-town settings in her stories. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, hiking, volunteering with shelter dogs, and continuing her never-ending quest for the holy grail of bakeries.

Tour Schedule

(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

Tour Giveaway

1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card.

Open internationally (as long as winner is eligible to receive prize).

Ends December 28, 2019.

ENTER HERE

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Blind Dates, Bridesmaids & Other Disasters

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Blind Dates, Bridesmaids & Other Disasters

By Aspen Hadley

Sweet Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Hardcover and ebook, 272 Pages

July 9th 2019 by Sweetwater Books

On the surface, Rachel Stevens's life looks perfect.

One great job, two awesome roommates, and a supportive family. But when her roommate Hannah announces her engagement, Rachel sees eternal singleness and innumerable cats in her future. When the bride-to-be issues a challenge--go on six blind dates and before the "I do's" --Rachel isn't convinced her imagined future is that bad in comparison. The dates are predictably horrible and the situation further complicated by the return of James, Rachel's first, long-lost love. James says he is over her . . . but is Rachel over him?

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Excerpt

As the starting time (for the 10k race) arrived, (my blind date) Mitch announced that he wanted to be at the front of the crowd. I followed him with heavy feet. How was I supposed to look all athletic and charming while moving my body in a way it wasn’t familiar with? Not to mention my lungs. My poor lungs were about to have the fight of their life.

I was saved having to overthink it by the sound of a gunshot. My first thought was to duck, but others around me took off running, and I managed to keep from embarrassing myself thanks to my instinctual herd mentality. When everyone around you is running, you run.

Mitch was kind enough to let me set the pace. It was a mistake on his part, but it was kind. After a minute or two during which I applauded myself for pulling off a steady jog, Mitch finally spoke up.

“All warmed up?” he asked.

Oh heavenly days. He thought I was just getting started when in reality I was at my peak performance. Still, I nodded. My mom always warned me that pride cometh before the fall.

“Great, let’s go.”

Mitch poured on the juice and moved ahead of me on the road as he zigged and zagged between other runners. I pushed myself harder and managed to make a respectable showing while dodging people. When I caught up to him, he started asking me more questions.

“Where did you go to college? How did you meet your roommates? What’s your favorite kind of food? Favorite vacation spot?” He fired questions faster than I could answer them.

I was trying desperately to respond, to appear fit as a fiddle, to be charming and lovely. In the end, it wasn’t meant to be. I don’t know if a rock caught my toe or if my foot gave out, but one moment I was cheerfully telling him I loved Mexican food and the next I was eating asphalt.

I heard Mitch make a sound as he looked back and saw me on my stomach. I was trying to catch my breath as he hurried back to my side and rolled me onto my back. A stinging sensation on my chin told me I’d hit it too. I hoped it wasn’t scraped too badly. I reached up trembling fingers to test it. They came away with some blood and gravel. I winced and put my fingers back on my wound.

“Did you get the wind knocked out of you?” Mitch asked. It was a perfect excuse for my heavy breathing, so I nodded and let him think that. “Are you hurt anywhere? Can you move your legs? Did you hit your head or just your chin?” he asked. What was with him and a zillion questions all the time? This time I shook my head.

“Rachel?” Suddenly James’s face came into view above Mitch’s shoulder.

I let my eyes slide closed, my fingers still covering my chin, as I felt a lump rise in my throat at the sight of him. Kind of like how you’re always okay with getting hurt until your Mom shows up, and then you’re a sobbing mess.

About the Author

Aspen Hadley loves nothing more than a great story. She has devoted herself to story-telling for the majority of her life, writing her first novel at her kitchen table in the 8th grade. Aspen writes what she wants to read: clean, sassy, romantic comedy novels that give you a break from real life and leave you feeling happy.

Outside of writing, Aspen's number one hobby is reading. Number two is sneaking chocolate into and out of her private stash without being caught. Other favorite things include: playing the piano, listening to classic rock, telling jokes around the dinner table, eating ice cream, traveling, a good case of the giggles, and riding on ATVs over the mountains and deserts of Utah.

Aspen shares her life with a patient husband, 4 hilarious children, and 1 grumpy dog in a quiet suburb in the foothills of her beloved mountains.

Given the choice she would road trip her life away, singing along to the radio and sleeping in every morning.

Tour Schedule

(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

Tour Giveaway

1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card

Open internationally (as long as winner is eligible to receive prize)

Ends December 28, 2019.

ENTER HERE

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: The Christmas Bachelor Auction

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Christmas Bachelor Auction

(Matched by Mistake Book #2)

By Rachel John

Sweet Contemporary Romance, Novella

ebook, 108 Pages

November 4th 2019

Bidding at a bachelor auction is just asking for trouble...

Cara Marconi promised to bid at her town’s charity bachelor auction, but never with any intention to win. So, when she accidentally bids too high and wins her best friend’s brother, she’s a little freaked out. Mostly because of that one time they kissed and never spoke of it again.

Justin Riggs was expecting to chaperone an old lady around town, not worry about hurting Cara when he leaves after Christmas. Of course, that’s not exactly how their conversation goes after the auction. He may have called her out on her crush on him … and added some other accusations that will live to haunt him forever. Now, Cara never wants to talk to him again, and he’s realizing too late that he’d like a lot more than her forgiveness.

Cara’s stuck. By winning a date with Justin, she’s also won the marketing headache that goes with it. As much as she’d like to Photoshop their heads together and call it good, the town expects to see them out together having fun. So, Cara has a plan. She'll friendzone the heck out of him, hide her heart where he can’t reach it, and conquer this crush by the time he leaves town.

Curl up with this sweet and sassy Christmas tale about mistaken motives and secrets revealed.

(Affiliate link included.)

Goodreads | Amazon

Excerpt

Laurie and Cara were in the room next door, laughing hysterically about something. Justin was starting to think this auction was all part of a master plan to prank every single guy in town and see if they’d do their bidding.

Well, he had things to do. He’d promised Dad new photos of the gift shop, and now was as good a time as any. Justin picked up his camera bag and checked it before setting it by the door, put his shoes back on, and glanced around. His leather jacket, which had been hanging on the bed post earlier, was no longer there.

“Laurie?” he called out. “Did you take my jacket again? It’s three sizes too big for you, what is your prob—”

He stopped short as Cara came rushing in with it, promptly tripped over his camera bag, and fell into his arms. The jacket landed in a heap on the floor.

He held her up by her elbows, trying not to laugh. “Are you okay?”

She looked up at him with those big dark eyes of hers, and he felt his heart pick up speed. As soon as she had her balance, he released her and went to pick up his jacket.

“I didn’t kill your camera, did I?” she asked, turning to look at the bag she’d tripped over.

He kept it pretty well insulated, but he checked it anyway, just to have something to do besides think about Cara being in here with him. “It’s fine. Sorry I left it there for you to trip over.”

“You always did like to booby-trap your room,” she said with a grin.

He stared at the ceiling. “That was one time. I was twelve.”

She shrugged. “Well, using fishing line as a trip wire was sort of ingenious. If I’m ever caught in a Home Alone type situation, I’ll use it.”

“A Home Alone type situation? Where your family heads to France and two bumbling thieves show up at your house?”

She fought to keep a straight face. “Exactly. It could happen.”

Their laughter died out and he didn’t know where to look or what to do. He shouldn’t enjoy teasing her so much. She had such a great laugh.

“Where’s Laurie?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. He still had the irrational fear that without a chaperone, Cara might try something, and he might like it as much as he had five years ago.

“Laurie’s in the bathroom. I saw your jacket on her bed so I thought I’d bring it to you.” As if sensing his discomfort, she immediately retreated back to Laurie’s room.

He picked up his camera bag and left, trying to put Cara out of his mind. Did she always have to be around?

Other Books in the Series

The Stand-in Christmas Date

(Matched by Mistake Book #1)

By Rachel John

Sweet Contemporary Romance, Novella

ebook, 75 Pages

December 11th 2018

She’s totally smitten. Too bad he thinks she’s someone else.

Alyssa Owens is used to getting talked into crazy things by her lookalike cousin, but pretending to be her so she doesn’t have to break a date is ridiculous. Reluctantly, she agrees to the scheme—spend twenty minutes with the guy, wear sunglasses to maintain the ruse, make sure he believes she’s interested so her cousin can have him back when she returns to town after New Year’s, then make an excuse to leave. At least, that was the plan.

It doesn’t take Wes Fielding long to figure out that this isn’t the same girl he met at a speed dating event. After all, as a cop, he’s trained to study faces. But if this isn’t her, who is it, and why does she have to be so funny and easy to talk to? To unravel the mystery, he decides to play along, but the more he gets to know her, the harder it is not to wish for a happy ending rather than the humiliating one they now face.

Curl up with this sweet Christmas romance about mistaken identity and unexpected chemistry.

(Affiliate link included.)

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author

Rachel John lives in Arizona with her husband and four kids. She's a terrible cook, but unfortunately for her family, she keeps trying. When she's not chauffeuring kids around, she loves to read, work on family history, and write swoony and sweet romances.

Tour Schedule

(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

Tour Giveaway

1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card

Open internationally (as long as winner is eligible to receive prize)

Ends December 28, 2019.

ENTER HERE

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Her Country Christmas Date

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Her Country Christmas Date

(Love in Little River #2)

By Raneé S. Clark

Sweet Contemporary Romance, Novella

Paperback and ebook, 98 Pages

December 1st 2019 by Sweetly Us

Is ten days, twelve dates, and a little Christmas magic enough for happily ever after?

Dru North has far more substance than the party-boy reputation given to him by the media, which is why a quiet Christmas in Little is just what he needs. From the moment he meets Amber Miller, who’s staying across the hall, sparks fly, and a magical Christmas party leads to an impulsive kiss.

While Dru is eager to get to know Amber during the quiet vacation, she’s wary of his reputation and his riches. She challenges him to take her on twelve dates before she’ll consider their relationship anything more than a holiday fling—a feat given the fact that she’s only in town for ten days.

Amidst the big family holiday Dru has always dreamed of having, Amber finds herself trusting with every “date” that Dru isn’t the bad-boy she thought him to be. But his insistence that this can be more than a holiday fling has Amber worried about the future. Dru’s a famous country star with money to burn, and she’s just a teacher. Are their worlds too far apart for a happily ever after when the Christmas magic is over?

(Affiliate link included.)

Goodreads | Amazon

Excerpt

She laughed. The way her laughter sometimes escaped her, like it was a surprise, tickled his insides with more warmth. It could be zero degrees out here, and he could stand next to her and not feel it. He glanced back at the window, catching a few people watching them, and shifted into the darkness on the other side of the fire. He glanced around them.

“What is it?” she asked in a whisper.

He looked down at her, turning so that he faced her, blocking them both from anyone determined to find them. “Looking for mistletoe,” he teased.

She put her warm hands on the sides of his neck, then slid her fingers up into the short hairs there. “Ummm, not really necessary.”

He tilted his head down toward her, stilling as he neared her lips. He’d just met this woman an hour before, but the pull to her was magnetic. He couldn’t avoid it if he tried. She didn’t even give him time to think about it before she leaned into him, finishing off the distance between them and pressing her lips to his.

The fire behind them seemed to jump from the pit and explode around him. He wrapped his arms around her back, shifting her backward to lean against the side of the house. Her fingers slid up farther, pulling his head down to her. He let the magic of the night take over for several seconds, or maybe minutes, while he kissed her.

She pulled away and stared at him, her fingers slowly trailing back down the back of his neck, gripping his shoulders. “That was ... um ... wow.”

He drew in a long breath, loosening his arms around her, but not enough to let her go. Not yet. “Yeah.”

“I don’t think I should have done that.” Her voice trembled with a light laugh. A fake one.

“Because you hardly know me?”

“You’re Dru North.” She blew out a breath.

Usually the insinuation didn’t bother him. The women he’d dated in the past had figured out quickly enough what was hype and what was him. And there was a lot of hype. But he tensed anyway. He liked Amber. Really liked her, and it hurt to be judged so quickly.

Then he shook it off, deciding that was unfair. She’d known him all of an hour or so. Enough time for him to be charming. Not enough time for her to separate an image from the real guy.

“You’re Amber... ,” he started to tease and then broke off when he realized he didn’t know her last name. Classy, North. If there was ever a reason to believe that he was the womanizing bad boy, he’d just given it to her.

“Miller,” she supplied. She gave him a see what I mean look.

He would not have tried to convince her to go upstairs with him, no matter how long they’d spent together tonight, but that’s not what his image said. He’d just have to show her. “I want to get to know you,” he said, taking her hands in his and kissing her knuckles. She relaxed a little.

“This is crazy,” she whispered.

He spread her fingers out in his and then began kissing the tips. “Please.”

“I’m only here for ten days.”

“Plenty of time.” Let me prove to you who I am.

She tapped her fingers against his chest, watching him as she considered. “Okay. But you can’t do that again.” He raised his eyebrows in question. “Kissing me. It messes with my head.”

“That’s an unacceptable deal. It doesn’t have to be on the first date, but I am going to need to kiss you again.” He loosened his arms some more, making sure she understood she could walk away at any moment. She was irresistible, but he was standing out here in the cold, in the dark, purposefully out of view of the other guests at the party. He didn’t want to scare her.

“Twelve dates,” she said.

Dru scowled. “What?”

“You can kiss me again after twelve dates.” She punctuated this by sliding her hands inside his jacket, her hands cold against his chest.

“You’re only here ten days.”

She pulled up one shoulder, mock grimacing at him. “Well, either you’ll rise to the challenge or ... you won’t.”

Other Books in the Series

Roxy's Song

(Love in Little River #1)

By Raneé S. Clark

Sweet Contemporary Romance, Novella

Paperback & ebook, 133 Pages

September 8th 2019 by Sweetly Us

The night Tag Turner claimed he loved Roxy Adams and begged her to follow him to Nashville to live his dream, she sent him packing since she knew it couldn't be real. Even if he did insist he’d been singing his love to her for years.

Eight years later, Tag, now a famous country star, rolls back into small town Little River hoping for one more shot at winning his high school crush. But Roxy loves her quiet, country life on her family’s ranch—a life that doesn’t have room for someone who can’t buy coffee without national media attention.

Not ready to give up, Tag stays in Little River to work on his next album and convince the woman he loves to give him a chance. Will Roxy ever trust his feelings are real and not just lyrics in a song?

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About the Author

During her early years of reading, Raneé S. Clark devoured fantasy books, which continued into her adulthood—since she often believes that a well-written romance novel is a delightful fantasy. Though raising three boys can sometimes hamper both romance with her own Prince Charming and her writing, she tries to get a little of both in every day. And most of the time she succeeds.

Tour Schedule

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Tour Giveaway

1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card

Open internationally (as long as winner is eligible to receive prize)

Ends December 28, 2019.

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