Today’s my birthday *woo* so I’m continuing with our week of feel good reads ๐ Then it’s off for a few days for US Thanksgiving so … see ya next week!
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A Soldier Under Her Tree
by Kathy Douglass
Price: $5.99
ON-sale date: December 1, 2020
ISBN: 9781335894991
Blurb:ย
Tis the seasonโฆfor a second shot at love. Could a fake boyfriend be her real hero this Christmas?
When her ex-fiancรฉ shows up at her shopโengaged to her sister!โdress designer Hannah Carpenter doesnโt know what to do. Especially when her former fling Russell Danielson sees her plight and rides to the rescue, offering a fake relationship to foil her rude relations. The thing is, thereโs nothing fake about his kissโฆ But when things get real, will the sexy soldier once again stop short of commitment?
From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.
Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335894991_a-soldier-under-her-tree.htmlย
Booksamillion: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781335894991?AID=10747236&PID=7651142&cjevent=cd84ca9017ad11eb829e02870a240614ย
Indie bound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335894991
*****
Excerpt:
โWhy do you have to be like that? I tried to resist. We both did, for your sake. Thatโs why we didnโt get married right away. We were considering your feelings. But Gerald and I are in love and want to be together.โ
Hannah managed not to throw up the yogurt sheโd grabbed for breakfast. Respect for her feelings wasnโt the reason Dinah and Gerald hadnโt gotten married three years ago. They hadnโt tied the knot because Dinah hadnโt been divorced yet. Her ex-husband hadnโt been in the mood to give her half of what heโd earned, so the proceedings had dragged on and on. Of course, had Dinah been as much in love with Gerald as sheโd claimed, she would have just walked away from her then eight-month marriage and a huge settlement. But Dinah had absorbed their motherโs teaching quite well. Never leave a dollar behind.
โIโm not stopping you. Get married. Have the biggest wedding the state of Virginia has seen. Heck, all of America has seen. But leave me out of it.โ
Gerald stepped forward then. Hannah had hoped to never see the weasel ever again. Yet here he was, standing right in front of her. He was average height with hair that was beginning to thin and cold, calculating eyes. Hannah wondered what sheโd ever seen in him. When theyโd worked together at his fatherโs architectural firm, sheโd been impressed by what sheโd interpreted as his drive and desire to make a name for himself. Now she realized that had just been a mirage.
โHannah, we werenโt right for each other.โ Was he trying to sound sympathetic? If so, he was failing miserably. But then, true feelings werenโt included in his limited repertoire. โI know you feel the same way.โ
โYou got that right.โ
โI know youโre hurt and disappointed,โ he said as if he hadnโt heard a word sheโd said. Apparently heโd prepared this speech and intended to recite every word of it. โBut donโt hold it against Dinah.โ
โYouโre unbelievable. Please, all of you, just leave.โ
โNot until you agree to make my dress,โ Dinah said. Clearly trying to make nice was putting a strain on her and she was reverting to type.
Hannah had a business to run. A customer could come in at any moment. She needed to put an end to this now.
โYou know, I can always call the chief of police. Heโs a friend, too.โ
โYou wouldnโt dare,โ Eleanor said indignantly, pressing a manicured hand against her chest.
โActually I would,โ Hannah said, hoping her mother wouldnโt call her bluff. Hannah didnโt want anyone in town, especially her friends, to know about her messed up family. Sheโd never told a soul about them or how Gerald had betrayed her. And she never would. But Eleanor didnโt know that.
โThereโs no need for that,โ Eleanor said hastily, trying to get back on script. โHannah, just consider whatโs best for the family. And for you.โ
โHow would it look if you, a successful dress designer to the stars, refuse to design a wedding dress for your only sister? It could harm your reputation if anyone ever found out how petty youโre being,โ Dinah added.
โWas that a threat? Thatโs an interesting strategy for someone asking a favor.โ
โIโm just pointing out the obvious. You like to pretend that youโre the victim. Poor betrayed Hannah. The truth is Gerald dumped you because he didnโt want you. He wanted me.โ Dinah preened as if she were some sort of prize. โYouโve always been jealous of my beauty. I would have thought youโd gotten over it by now. Maybe if you could find a man, you wouldnโt be so bitter. But then, maybe you havenโt met anyone desperate enough.โ
Hannah gasped. That was low even for Dinah.
The sound of a throat being loudly cleared filled the uneasy silence. Hannah closed her eyes.ย
Just what sheโd hoped to avoidโa witness to her familyโs dysfunction and her personal humiliation.
She opened her eyes and turned to face her customer.
Russell Danielson. Her good friendโs brother. Sheโd met Russell this past summer when heโd been in Sweet Briar visiting his siblings and their families. Theyโd hit it off and spent a glorious evening together. Heโd promised to contact her when he got back to his duty station. He hadnโt.
Sheโd been hurt when heโd ghosted herโdisappointed evenโbut not surprised. She was still down on men. Besides, though theyโd had a couple of good conversations, those talks hadnโt involved anything truly personal. Still, sheโd thought theyโd connected. Clearly sheโd been wrong.
Russell looked around the room, taking in the scene, and then smiled. Did he find the way she was standing against the wall while they circled her like sharks amusing? โSorry Iโm late.โ
โUh.โ Late for what? Until heโd stepped into her store, she hadnโt known he was in town.
He crossed the room, not stopping until he was standing an inch in front on her. Instinctively she inhaled and got a whiff of his delectable scent. He was wearing a woodsy cologne, which when mingled with his natural scent made her weak in the knees. Before she could utter a word, he put his arms around her waist and pulled her into a kiss.ย
His lips were warm, and the pressure was perfect. He lingered for a few seconds before pulling away. Though heโd ended the kiss, he kept his arm firmly around her waist, which was good since her knees had turned to Jell-O.
*****
Author Info:
Kathy Douglass came by her love of reading naturally – both of her parents were readers. She would finish one book and pick up another. Then she attended law school and traded romances for legal opinions. After the birth of her two children, her love of reading turned into a love of writing. Kathy now spends her days writing the small town contemporary novels she enjoys reading. Kathy loves to hear from her readers and can be found on Facebook.
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Romantic Reads and Such 