Author: Wendy S. Marcus
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: December 9th 2014
Add to: Goodreads
Synopsis
She’s a survivor of the front lines of politics. He’s a wounded soldier returning home from the battlefield. Can they place their trust in the power of love?
Nobody plays the role of perfect politician’s daughter better than quiet, respectable math teacher Brooke Ellstein. But she won’t be caught swimming with the sharks again, not after the son of a wealthy donor sinks his teeth into her and gets away with it. Still, political connections have their perks, such as heading up the governor’s “Support Our Troops” pen-pal initiative—and getting first dibs on the smoking-hot sergeant whose picture shakes her right down to her goody-two-shoes.
When corresponding with sweet, classy Brooke, Shane Develen instinctively hides his commando tattoos and blue-collar roots—and he can tell that she’s hiding something, too. But Shane knows he’s gained her trust when Brooke gives him a blisteringly sexy photo. Then he’s injured in an ambush and a fellow soldier posts the snapshot online. Overnight, Brooke’s reputation turns to ashes. Even though he’s totally wrong for her, Shane shows up on Brooke’s doorstep, determined to set things right—and discovers that right or wrong has nothing on the chemistry they share.
Excerpt
The day had finally come. After eight months of letters, e-mails, and Skype sessions, today sweet, thoughtful, wonderful, Shane Develen would be returning home from Afghanistan for a five-day leave. Finally Brooke would get to meet him in person for the very first time. If there weren’t so many people she may very well have skipped toward her destination.
No, probably not.
“Excuse me.” She squeezed around a large, not-so-nice-smelling man to get a better view of the crowded arrivals area at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Over the years she’d watched hours and hours of YouTube videos of soldiers returning home from war to ecstatic families, wives, children, girlfriends, and fiancées. Soldiers meeting their babies for the first time, or—her personal favorites—soldiers dropping down to one knee and proposing to their special someone right off the airplane or ship.
Via the computer she’d witnessed hundreds of heartfelt, loving, tearful yet joyous reunions. Today it was her turn to experience one for real, although hers would be more of a “Welcome Home” introduction than reunion. Excited energy fluttered around her belly like a family of hungry hummingbirds. Brooke wanted to smile big, bounce on her toes, and scream, “What’s taking so long?”
Instead she wrapped her arms across her midsection as tight as she could and called on every ounce of restraint in her possession to remain calm and poised, because that’s what Ellsteins did, at least in public.
A person in her general vicinity had recently smoked a cigar. Another had forgotten his or her deodorant. A third had on way too much cologne, yet it failed to effectively mask the other odors. Breathing had become an adventure. From which pocket of air would her next breath come? Oh! Apparently someone had eaten tacos for dinner.
Bodies stood too close, probably defiling the scent of her perfumed lotion. Luckily she’d chosen wisely with a soft cotton maxi dress that wouldn’t wrinkle. Strangers bumped and pushed and stepped on her new white strappy flats and freshly pedicured toes. But when a sticky red lollipop made contact with the arm of her white cashmere sweater, Brooke moved to find a new waiting spot in a less populated area.
When she was a bit farther away than she’d wanted to be, but in a quieter area with a clear view, her thoughts turned back to Shane. Would he be happy to see her? She bit her lip for the hundredth time, wondering if maybe surprising him wasn’t the best idea.
Would he hug her or kiss her? Sure, Shane had made his stance on not wanting a girlfriend quite clear. But they’d shared a lot of very personal things with each other, over the past few months especially. They’d grown close—much closer than casual friends, at least from her perspective. Hoping he felt the same way, she popped another breath mint into her mouth, ready, just in case.
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ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting my blog tour today! If readers would like to read more, there's a first chapter excerpt on my website: http://WendySMarcus.com
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