Spotlight – The Hometown Dilemma

13 Tuesday Sep 2022

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Julie Archer, Meet Cute Book Club series, The Hometown Dilemma

In THE HOMETOWN DILEMMA by Julie Archer, when Jaime Harlow returns home in hopes of starting over, she is forced to rethink her plans, and an old friend from college, Wade Dempsy offers to help, leaving her second-guessing everything. Old times, new feelings – and one stormy night – are all they need to ignite the desires they never realized existed. Fans of The Lawton Ridge Series by Kennedy Fox will devour this must-read swoon-worthy, return to hometown romance from the Meet Cute Book Club Series.

The Hometown Dilemma

Meet Cute Book Club series

by Julie Archer

Blurb:

Jaime

Who says you can’t go home?

Coming back to Abbott Ridge and starting over was my plan. But, just like everything in life, plans change. Especially when the interior design reality tv show I dreamed of being a part of gets canceled before filming even begins. Now I’m stuck without a job and forced to rethink how I’ll start my own company.

Insert, Wade Dempsey.

Owner of Dempsey’s bar, and one of my closest friends from college. He immediately offers me a temporary job working with him, like old times.

It’s an offer I can’t refuse. Oh, and did I mention that my new boss is even sexier than I remember?

Things between us are going great…until a call from New York presents me with a new offer that has me second guessing my stay in Abbott Ridge.

Wade

Home is where the heart is.

I’ve spent my whole life in Abbott Ridge, running in and out of my family’s bar until I was finally old enough to take over. Now I’m in charge, but it’s a struggle to keep the place from going under. I need fresh ideas to compete with all the fancy bars and clubs popping up downtown.

Insert, Jaime Harlow.

Having Jaime back behind my bar seems like a good place to start. She’s an inspiration and a breath of fresh air, in more ways than one.

Old times, new feelings – and one stormy night – are all we need to ignite the desires I never realized existed.

When New York calls for Jaime and the only future I’ve known goes up in flames, we find ourselves faced with a huge dilemma that threatens our new found relationship. Can we really make this work when right now it feels like we can’t even see eye to eye? There’s only one way to find out.

The Hometown Dilemma is a standalone, return to hometown romance that is part of the multi-author series, Meet Cute Book Club. Escape with this swoon-worthy collection of romances where meet-cutes don’t only happen between the pages of romance novels and members find their own happily ever afters.

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*****

Excerpt:

A wave of calm familiarity swept over me. Being back home for good, after being away for many years, had given me doubts and butterflies. I’m sure there were some people who would think coming home meant failure, when I very much saw it as the opportunity to start something new.

“I think it’s a really brave thing you’ve done,” Cami admitted, saying what I’d been thinking. “To walk away from a secure job and take a chance on something you have no control over.”

She may have been four years younger than me, but she was wise beyond her years. However scared I was about the decision I’d made, in my heart it was the right one. Sure, I could have stayed in a job with a nice company in New York, bumbling along with no real career plans, but I needed something to excite me, something to stretch and challenge me.

And trying to get a place on the next series of Interior Nirvana was the catalyst.

Walking away from a steady job to try and start my own freelance interior design business had been something I’d agonized over for months. But the more I turned up to work for other people, the more I knew I wanted to do it for myself. While Abbott Ridge might not have had the same level of clientele as the big city, there were enough businesses and families who would want professional help when it came to design.

“Thanks, sweetie, I appreciate your support. Not everyone is of the same mindset. Mom, for one.”

When I’d told her about my plans, she had gone ballistic. Even though she hadn’t exactly been in our lives over the past five years, the same amount of time I’d been in New York, I still kept her posted on what was going on.

“Ugh, you don’t have to tell me. You’d have thought you were going to jail for a serious crime, not trying to make something of your life.” Cami screwed up her nose. “Of course, it’s great for me too because I’m not on my own now. Wade and I split up.”

“Oh, Cami! When did that happen?” I reached out to grab her hand. “You should have told me.”

Cami had been dating Wade Dempsey on and off for about three months, since I’d last been home for a fleeting visit. He was six years older than her, so secretly I wasn’t surprised it hadn’t worked out. They were at totally different stages in their lives. Cami was still all about having fun and not thinking about the consequences. Wade had more responsibilities; he ran Dempsey’s bar in town and from what I’d heard, his father wasn’t in the best of health, which put a lot of strain on the family business. I’d worked with Wade at the bar while we were in college and we’d grown to be close buddies, although once I’d left for New York we hadn’t been in contact much.

She shrugged. “We weren’t that serious really. He’s not as much fun as I thought he was going to be. I barely saw him because he was at the bar all the time.”

“Well, I’m still sorry to hear you’ve split up.” I smiled. “But was he really the right guy for you? He always was a terrible flirt.”

“Yeah, he was.” Cami wrinkled her nose. “Think about it though, Jaime. The Harlow sisters out on the town together. Abbott Ridge watch out!”

Given the plans I had for starting my own business, there was little time for going out on the town. Not to mention saving every spare dollar I had, I had big plans to buy an apartment or house to use as my portfolio for the show.

“I don’t know about that, Cami.” Stalling, I sipped my own drink. “I might not have time.”

“Come on, all work and no play makes Jaime a very dull sister.”

Ha, I may be the older sister, but there was no way on earth I would let Cami say I was dull. Maybe it was time to step out of the comfort zone and have some fun before getting down to business.

*****

Author Info:

Author of contemporary romance featuring rock stars, small towns, a healthy dose of angst, some steamy times and always a happy ever after!

When not writing, I can usually be found binge watching teen drama series on Netflix, or supporting Spurs from my armchair, and running around after my two feline children, Corey and Elsa.

Follow me on Facebook or Instagram, see my latest releases on Amazon or drop me an email, juliearcherwrites@gmail.com.

Real Angst. Real Romance.

*****

About The Meet Cute Book Club Series

Escape with the Meet Cute Book Club where meet-cutes don’t only happen between the pages of romance novels and members find their own happily ever afters.

Eight single women bound by their love of books take a monthly break from real life to lose themselves in the chapters of romantic fiction. From friends to lovers to fake relationships and more, each story features a brand new couple and their journey to find love from an amazing lineup of authors including Louise Lennox, Tracy Broemmer, A.M. Williams, Mel Walker, RJ Gray, Rebecca Wilder, Julie Archer, and Kate Stacy.

These eight standalone romances are packed with meet-cutes, heat, and of course a happily ever after!

This promotional event is brought to you by The Indie Pen PR

Review – Change His Tune

01 Thursday Sep 2022

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Ariella Zoelle, Book Review, Change His Tune, Harmony of Hearts series

Change His Tune

Harmony of Hearts #3

by Ariella Zoelle

Blurb:

Ferris is straight, so why can’t he stop wishing his fake flirtations with his best friend would become real?

Tiago Álvarez

Flirting with Ferris is one of my favorite hobbies. He always playfully rejects me because he’s straight, but I don’t let that get my hopes down. That’s why I’m so shocked when he agrees to my silly idea to drive our fangirls wild by pretending there might be something more to our friendship.

But I secretly have an ulterior motive in convincing my best friend that we should share our hilarious banter with the fans. I want to make him see that we could have something real if he gave us a chance.

It’s obvious how much fun he has teasing me, so I wonder if maybe Ferris isn’t as straight as he used to be?

Ferris Valdemar

I’ve been telling Tiago no for so long that I don’t know how to tell him yes. But I really want to give in to my feelings for him that I’ve been running away from for far too long.

When he comes up with his scheme to fake flirting with each other for our fans, it gives me the opportunity I need to come clean about my not-so-straight feelings for my gay best friend.

But how do I tell Tiago that I want to be more than just friends?

Change His Tune is the third book in the Harmony of Hearts series and part of the Sunnyside universe. This novel features a friends to lovers, bi awakening, fake dating, rock star, gay romance. If you love cute sweetness, sexy fun, and no angst stories that will make you laugh and swoon, you’ll enjoy this satisfying HEA without cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.

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*****

Excerpt:

Chapter 1: Tiago Álvarez

I grinned at Ferris and swung for the fences by bringing out my cheesiest pickup lines. “They say kissing is the ‘language of love.’ Would you care to have a conversation with me about it sometime?”

He was clearly trying to hold in another chuckle. “Let me guess. You’re also fluent in French?”

“Yes, and I’d be very happy to give you lessons.”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

I waggled my eyebrows at him, making him crack up. “Are you sure about that?”

“Absolutely. What other gems do you have?”

I rubbed my thumb against my lower lip as I tried to exude sexiness. “You’re so hot, my zipper is falling for you.”

He chuckled at that one. “Is that so?”

“Oh, yeah. Roses are red. Violets are fine. You be the six. I’ll be the nine.” I made a kissy face at him as he howled with laughter.

“In your dreams!”

“It’s a dream I’d love to make come true with your help.”

He had to wipe away the tears that gathered at the corners of his eyes. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Well, let’s see what you’ve got, then.”

“Unlike you, I don’t have an arsenal of terrible one-liners. And honestly, I’m a little bewildered that you have so many of those memorized.”

I cajoled him. “Surely, you must know at least one super-cheesy pickup line. Lay it on me.”

“Okay, fine.” He took a deep breath to calm himself from his earlier laughing fit. “Feel my shirt.”

It was a surprising command that I was all too happy to obey. I reached out and ran my hand up his tank to rest over his heart.

“Do you know what it’s made of?” Ferris asked. I shook my head. He then stunned me when he placed his hand over mine and interlaced our fingers as he pressed it against him while holding eye contact. “Boyfriend material.”

The moment of sexual tension was tense, waiting for one of us to give in to the magnetic attraction we had. I held his gaze as his words made me ache with a longing for that impossible dream. There was nothing I wanted more than to date my best friend, but it would never happen because he was straight.

Despite that, I could feel how fast his heart was racing as his cheeks turned pink. It was a mistake to imagine anything would ever develop between us, but it gave me hope that maybe someday, he’d give in to the intense chemistry we had.

Would my dreams of being with Ferris ever come true?

*****

Review:

The first two stories in this series were all about the insta-love (and the copious amounts of hot sex) but with Tiago and Ferris having been friends for years this one is different. Because of the build-up in previous stories, we pretty much dive right into the change from friends to lovers (so kinda keeping with that whole insta thing) and Ferris coming to grips with what that means. He’s spent a lot of time thinking he’s straight, laughing off Tiago’s comments and avoiding those niggling feelings that arise, so when he finally realizes that he could be bi there’s a bit of adjusting to do.

Tiago has been in love with his best friend for so very long, waiting and hoping that he’d feel the same. So it’s quite a surprise when Ferris finally admits that there is something there, but he’s patient and considerate, letting Ferris take his time to learn what he’s comfortable with. There’s plenty of sexy time but also a lot of humor and touching moments as the two of them figure out their new relationship.

Change His Tune is a slow-burn, low angst read but it’s very satisfying to be there as these two finally get a chance to find a HEA.

*****

Author Info:

Ariella Zoelle adores steamy, funny, swoony romances where couples are allowed to just be happy. She writes low angst stories full of heat, humor, and heart. But sometimes she’s in the mood for something with a bit more angst and drama. If you are too, check out her A.F. Zoelle books.

For real-time updates on her writing progress, please join her Facebook group for exclusive teasers or follow her on Twitter or Instagram. You can also sign up for her newsletter to gain access to bonus chapters, previews of upcoming books, exclusive visual guides, and more.

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