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:
“Good morning,” he said. “Ready to go?”
“I’m all set.” She swung her laptop bag over one shoulder and grabbed the handle of her suitcase with her opposite hand.
“I’ll take that,” Edward said, reaching for the suitcase.
“I have it,” she snapped and held firmly onto the handle. His old-fashioned ways sometimes annoyed her and today was one of those days. Why was he always trying to be nice to her? It would be easier to maintain her distance if he wasn’t so damned considerate. Damned British manners. “I don’t need your help.”
He raised an eyebrow at her outburst but let go of his hold on the suitcase. “Fine. I see someone didn’t get her coffee this morning.”
“Wrong. I had two cups.” And a restless night of sleep with alternating dreams of Edward and Lucas. Frustrated from tossing and turning all night, she’d gotten up at four and started baking.
“I made biscotti if you’d like some.” She handed him a white bakery bag, hoping her offering of food would compensate for her irritable mood.
He opened the bag and pulled one out. “Are they safe to eat or did you use arsenic instead of sugar?”
Rather than dignify him with an answer, she leaned forward and took a bite. It was still warm and the chocolate chips melted in her mouth. Edward’s gaze studied her mouth as she chewed and for a minute Kate thought he may take a nibble out of her.
“Perfectly safe. I swear,” she said after swallowing.
He popped the other half in his mouth. “Not bad.”
“Not bad, my ass,” Kate said.
“That’s pretty fine, too.”
**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!
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I do put sauce on my pasta! I love the cover or your book looks really good. I entered under the name of Virginia
ReplyDeleteHi Virginia. I'm so glad you like the cover and hope you enjoyed the excerpt. Good luck in the contest!
ReplyDeleteI downloaded ur book... Can't wait to read it. Thx for sharing ur time w/us.
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ReplyDeleteWonderful blog tour, hosts, interviews, excerpts and reader comments. Thanks for sharing!
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