She drives him crazy and heβs falling crazy in love.
Matchmaking a Single Dad, a hilarious, hot single dad romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Denise Grover Swank and USA Today bestselling author Angela Casella writing as Angela Denise, is out now!

Matchmaking a Single Dad
Highland Hills #2
by Angela Denise
Blurb:
Theyβre all wrong for each otherβ¦but sometimes two wrongs do make a right.
Cole
The only woman I need in my life is my eight-year-old daughter, Jane. As a widowed brewery owner, I donβt have the time or inclination for anything more serious than a one night stand. Running the brewery is a big job, and being a parent is a bigger one, especially since my in-laws keep trying to prove Iβm an unfit guardian.
But thereβs no denying Holly Mayberry drives me crazy with her sassy mouth and attitude. Iβve known her most of my life, but Iβve always done a good job of evading her. Until now. Sheβs teaching Janeβs after-school computer program, and fate keeps throwing us together.
Holly and I are like oil and water, no good for each other. I need to stop thinking about her, so I agree to beta test a new dating appβone that Holly designed, although sheβs the last person Iβd tell.
My match and I can only DM each other for thirty days. No photos. No real names. No personal information until the end.
If I wanted more with a woman, Cherry Bomb checks all the boxesβ¦so why canβt I stop thinking about Holly?
Holly
Cole Garrison is a jerk. Or so Iβve told myself for years. The truth is, heβs a DILF and a half, and bickering with him is better than kissing someone else.
Hopefully, the guy Iβm chatting up on my dating app will help me forget himβ¦and take his place in my dirty daydreams.
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*****
Excerpt:
The door opens, and the teacher sponsoring Tech Time, Mrs. Applebaum, comes in, followed by a boy and three little girls. Four. Thatβs not so bad. Thatβs two each for Mikey and me. I give him a we can do this look, but his expression has soured like milk left out too long. Mrs. Applebaum takes care of getting the kids into the room, which is its own brand of chaos, and then she claps her hands, her expression changing from frazzled to upbeat, and says, βThere. Now Iβll leave them in your capable hands.β
βWait,β Mikey says with alarm, rocking on his feet, βyouβre not staying?β
βOh, Iβm sure youβre quite capable of holding down the fort. Iβll check in with you toward the end.β
βAre you sureββ I start, but Iβm cut off by the closing of the door.
βHi, Iβm Eloise,β one of the kids says. Sheβs a little girl in a button-up shirt with pearl buttons that go up so high Iβm surprised itβs not choking her.
Oh, yeah. Introductions. βIβm Holly,β I say, gesturing broadly to Mikey, βand this is Mikey. Why donβt you all pick computer stations?β
βArenβt we supposed to call you Miss Holly and Mr. Mikey? Or by your last names?β Eloise asks as the kids get seated.
Theyβve barely had time to introduce themselves before the door bursts open, revealing a newly harried looking Mrs. Applebaum, followed by none other than Cole Garrison himself and his small, dark-haired daughter, Jane.
βNo,β I say reflexively.
βNo, what?β Jane asks. βHey, Dad, thatβs the woman you always argue with.β
Itβs my turn for murder eyes, only I make them at Cole. Cole, who only got better with age, damn him. His wavy dark hair has been joined by a short, trimmed dark beard that perfectly frames his lips, as if saying, βplease kiss here.β Those eyes are as puppy doggish as ever, and now heβs both tall and broad, the kind of man any woman would welcome in her bed. To her detriment. Because heβs still a jerk.
Iβve had a somewhat recent refresher course on his jerkitude, actually. Before I left for New York, I made the monumental mistake of trying to be nice to him, and itβs a tactic Iβm not about to reprise.
βWill you be joining us, Jane?β I ask, my tone tight.
Cole mustnβt know the no-swearing-in-a-school rule either, because he curses under his breath. βI didnβt know you were teaching this class,β he says to me. βMaybe this was a bad idea.β
βExcuse me,β I say. βIβm very qualified to teach a bunch of eight-year-olds Scratch.β
βWhatβs Scratch?β Jane asks. βIs it gambling?β
βNo,β Mrs. Applebaum blurts, looking horrified. βI mean. Itβs not, is it?β
βItβs basic coding,β I say, glancing back at the other kids. βIβm going to teach yβall to make your own games. Doesnβt that sound fun?β
Please God, let them say yes.
There are a few enthusiastic nods, although Eloise instantly raises her hand again. Sighing, I nod at her. βYes, Eloise?β
βWill there be a test?β
βNo,β I say, βbut weβll be giving a presentation to the rest of the school before Christmas break.β
βSounds like a test,β Jane mutters.
Thereβs probably no getting rid of her, and itβs not her fault that I have an issue with her father, so I say, βWhy donβt you take a seat?β
She does, choosing the open seat near Mikey.
Cole scratches the back of his neck, looking at her. I guess Mrs. Applebaum is satisfied to have done her part, because she nods and says, βAll right. Thatβs settled then. Iβm going to my classroom. Iβll be back at the end of class.β
Does she have a flask in there or something? She seems suspiciously eager to get back to her desk.
βCan I talk to you for a second?β Cole asks. It takes me a second to realize heβs addressing me.
I gesture toward the children. Mikey is regarding them with escalating terror, probably because if I step out, heβll be left in charge. βNot a great time, to state the obvious.β βWhy are you doing that?β Jane asks Mikey, whoβs tapping the side of her monitor agitatedly. βDo you have a nervous tic, or is there something wrong with the screen? If thereβs something wrong with the screen, you probably shouldnβt have let me sit here.β
He mutters something about this being just like middle school.
βItβll only take a second,β Cole says, his eyes burning into me. Despite myself, I feel a not unpleasant sense of awareness.
βFine,β I say begrudgingly. βMikey, get them to turn on their computers and draw up the program.β Itβll be easier for him to step up if thereβs a concrete task to focus on.
I step out into the hall, and Cole takes several steps back, as if he feels the need to constantly keep a minimum distance between us. Fine by me. βWhat is it?β I ask tersely, shutting the door.
For a second, he just looks at me, and Iβm about to lose patience when he finally says, βI know you donβt like me, Holly. But donβt take it out on my daughter.β
He might as well have punched me in the gut.
βIs that what you think of me? You think Iβd be a creep to a little girl because she has the misfortune of being related to you? If anything, Iβll be nicer to her to make up for it.β
His expression suggests my shot has landed too, and Iβm glad, but only temporarily.
The corner of his lips tip up in a self-deprecating smile that lacks any mirth. βYouβre hardly the only person to think itβs her misfortune. I had to say it.β
βDid you?β I ask, tilting my head.
He takes a slight step toward me, as if preparing to tell me off, then says, βGoodbye, Holly.β
In my mind, I think of another day, of a young boy, still on his way toward becoming a man, saying, βIβll be seeing you, Holly Mayberry.β
How the hell has it come to this?
I watch him go, partly because I want to make sure he really leaves and partly because he does, damn him, have a fine butt. No harm in looking, ladies.
*****
Review:
I highly recommend anything written under the Angela Denise name. The characters are always interesting, things are never boring, and there’s a good mixture of humor and heat. Matchmaking the Single Dad holds true. The daughter is adorable, the heroine is sassy, and the hero is hunky – all combining to make a fun, and funny, read.
Holly and Cole have been picking at each other for years. Of course, we know it’s because they are perfect for each other but misunderstandings and missteps over the years have led them to this point. A place where spending time together because of Cole’s daughter means that they are going to have to address their feelings for each other. It’s definitely not smooth sailing – both of them are stubborn to say the least – but with the help of friends and family maybe they can finally find that HEA they’ve been waiting for.
Witty banter, tender moments, a spunky 7 year old, and a good amount steam kept me turning the pages and coming back for more. I can’t wait to see what comes next for the Mayberry siblings π
(Part of a series but pretty easily stands on its own.)
*****
Author Info:
About New York Times bestselling author Denise Grover Swank and USA Today bestselling author Angela Casella writing as Angela Denise
ANGELA DENISE is the pen name for the writing duo Angela Casella and Denise Grover Swank.
ANGELA CASELLA loves writing romcoms, particularly with the lovely Denise Grover Swank. She lives in Asheville, NC with her husband, daughter, and two geriatric dogs. Her hobbies include herding her daughter toward less dangerous activities, stress baking, and marathon watching TV shows.
DENISE GROVER SWANK is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author and has sold over three million books. She indie published her first book, a romance mystery, Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes, in 2011. She has since published over fifty novels, multiple novellas and short stories as an indie and with five publishers. She is published in seven languages. She is a single mother to six children and four dogs and hasnβt lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.
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*****
