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by Maria K. Alexander
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BLURB:
When her marriage ended in tragedy, Kate DiFrancesco rebuilt her life, but has never gotten over the pain of what she lost. Seeking the help of an ex-lover ignites feelings she’s promised never to have again. She’ll need to untangle herself from dangers in her past in order to break the hard shell around her heart.
Edward Weston has a lot to prove, both to his stuffy upper-crust British family, and to himself. Working alongside Kate, a woman he had a casual relationship with, stirs unexpected feelings. Helping her family makes him realize what he's missing. For the first time, he wants more than a one-night stand.
When Kate is threatened, Edward must overcome feeling unworthy to protect the woman he loves and fight for the family he never thought he’d have.
Read an excerpt:
Edward raised an eyebrow toward her. “Are you sure you’re up for sledding?” he asked, with a glance down at her black high-heeled boots.
She shot him a challenging look. “Only if we race against you.”
“Me?”
“Lucas and I against you. Loser buys dinner.”
He studied her, almost as though he were weighing how he could turn this contest in his favor. Then he turned to Lucas. “Why don’t you grab two sleds, sport, while I negotiate with Kate?”
Lucas nodded and ran off.
Edward hooked his fingers in her jacket pockets and pulled her closer. “How about if I win, you go on a date with me?”
“That’s playing dirty.”
“Very well. You can explain to Lucas why we’re not racing.”
“I can’t do that. Just look at how excited he is.” She nodded over to where Lucas stood waiting for available sleds, jumping up and down and an enthusiastic grin on his face.
“My sled, my rules, or are you afraid you’ll lose?”
He struck a nerve and he knew it. She couldn’t back down from the challenge. Besides, she’d been rethinking the whole not-dating thing and almost convinced herself she was being ridiculous for fighting their attraction. So no matter what happened, she’d figured she’d win.
She met the challenge of his gaze. “One date—and don’t expect sex.”
He attempted to look shocked, but one side of his mouth twitched. “Certainly not.”
“Fine. Be prepared to lose.”
**My thoughts**
Kate and Edward have both dealt with a lot of hardships in their lives, that have caused them to put up shells around themselves. Neither one of them is looking for a long-term relationship, which is understandable. They had a steamy affair over the summer, and then never expected to see each other again. And now Fate seems to have thrust them back together.
They have one heck of a roller coaster ride of emotion with each other. Edward doesn't want to admit that he is in love with Kate and keeps fighting his feelings. But, he is British and stubborn and keeps pushing her. Kate runs hot and cold, often switching mid-conversation. It must be that fiery Italian temper. Some people may find it attractive. I admit that I found her hard to swallow at times. Some of her indecisiveness, though, is understandable, considering her tragic past. She is protective of what is hers and never wants to get hurt again.
A bundle of six year-old joy is the first thing to melt her heart. I admit I got a little teary, myself, throughout parts of this story. Lucas seems much more mature than his six years, especially considering his own tragedies. Some of his actions, such as texting, definitely make him seem older!
Complications arise when Kate is threatened by her past. I liked how this part of the story is present and definitely impacts the relationships, but doesn't dominate the romance and "untangling of the hearts."
Edward and Kate do have a steamy side to their roller coaster relationship, as they untangle their hearts and some clothing, for those who need a little heat in their romance. Definitely a read for the 18+ crowd!
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A romantic at heart, Maria K. Alexander spent hours as a young girl getting lost in and wishing to be one of the heroines in the stories she read. Books gave her the ability to go to another world where she loved meeting new characters, learning about their problems, and watching them fall in love.
Maria blogs and shares her writing journey with her critique partners at: http://thevioletfemmes.com.
When not writing, Maria loves to read, bake, downhill ski, visit the beach, and watch romantic comedies. Maria lives in New Jersey with her husband and children, and writes in her “spare” time between juggling a full-time job and her kids’ busy schedules.
You can keep in touch with her at: http://mariakalexander.com.
Web Links
Website: http://mariakalexander.com
The Violet Femmes Blog: http://thevioletfemmes.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MKAlexander1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maria-K-Alexander-Author/201236689917319
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/mariakalexander
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lovely excerpt
ReplyDeleteHi Elise-Maria. I hope you enjoyed this excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting and for sharing your thoughts!
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