A desperate espresso café owner, a determined coffee franchise rep, a quiet Midwestern town, anonymous threats out of the blue—where does the true danger lie?
Welcome to Book Hooks, a Wednesday offering by members of Marketing For Romance Writers to share a little taste of our work and entice you into wanting more! Click on the links at the end to travel to other Book Hook posts, and enjoy!
EXCERPT
Last week their lips barely brushed at the end of what turned out to be their first date — this week they get another chance at a real kiss.
Nadja shuddered, sitting on her living room couch. Kevin sat next to her. He was too close. He was too far away. Her skin warmed and then just as quickly chilled. When had she become such a tease? She never toyed with men. She never bantered with them. Not like this.
Was it Kevin’s seemingly boundless patience she was testing? Or was it his perseverance? Maybe it was her perseverance.
She raised the wine glass to her lips and peeked at him. They’d exchanged views on a wide range of topics. She’d been surprised by his varied interests. But he hadn’t even tried to put his arm around her.
“Do you miss Ukraine?”
“Yes. I miss the high hills, the beautiful buildings, and the dancing.”
“But you don’t plan to go back?”
She shook her head. “Not to live. This is my home now. I have my shop, and Ivett and her husband. And I can speak my mind without worrying about what others may think.” She paused. “At least most of the time.”
He nodded and studied her thoughtfully. “Nadja.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t read minds very well. Are you going to jump out of your skin if I kiss you?”
She wet her lips but couldn’t smile. “I’ll try not to.”
He placed an arm around her shoulder and turned her chin toward him with his other hand. She held his gaze as he dipped his head until his lips slanted across hers. It was a soft kiss. Not at all demanding. His lips coaxed hers into responding. She draped her arms around his neck. She feared she might dissolve in his arms.
He leaned back only enough to whisper, “You taste like cherry.”
“My lipstick,” she explained.
“I like cherry.”
“Maybe you’ll want to taste again.”
BUY LINKS
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L7WQH12/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1140503297
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/i-am-not-for-sale
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1115419
https://www.extasybooks.com/I-am-Not-for-Sale
REVIEW
Five Stars from N. N. Light
“The romance is so hot, you may have to call the fire department. But it’s the character development throughout I am Not for Sale which makes this such an incredible story.”
BLURB
It’s nothing personal…
It all seems simple enough—Ukrainian immigrant Nadja Petrov is determined to hold on to her thriving new coffee shop, Nadja’s Literary Cappuccino, and Java Beans District Rep Kevin Langley is equally determined to move into her North Iowa town with a franchise and run her out of business.
He scopes her out, she keeps a watchful eye on him, and the sparring begins. But there are other players involved, and the web of intrigue soon threatens Nadja, her shop, and her aunt as well as Kevin, his potential franchise, and his son.
Within this cauldron simmers a sexual attraction between Nadja and Kevin that catapults them to overcome their fears of intimacy and commitment. Their lovemaking is tender and raw. Their love is nearly lost in tragedy—can it survive doubts, fire, and even a death?
Scowling, Nadja huffed, “You know I don’t like calling it a dildo. It’s my magical crystal wand.”
I was fortunate, however, to be able to attend a Ukrainian Ballet performance of Prokofiev’s Cinderella while I was in Kyiv, at the Kyiv Opera House, pictured here.