Category: Uncategorized

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Brittainy Cherry’s The Mixtape is a heart-rending, beautifully drawn story about two people who find each other during the hardest times of their lives. Cherry deftly uses the metaphor of a mixed tape to illustrate the ups and downs of life, each track representing a moment in our lives that is either the best or the worst of times. 

Through her characters, Oliver and Emery, Cherry reminds readers that we construct the family we want; we aren’t born into it. Her story also focuses on overcoming loss. The book has a strong focus on mental health, namely through Oliver’s story, and the wisdom that Cherry pours over the page, through the voice of therapist Audrey, is important for anyone who engages in negative self-talk. Both Emery and Oliver struggle with life, but they learn quickly that acknowledging that bad things happen to everyone, that a new day dawns with the opportunity to be better, is an apt lesson from The Mixtape. 

I’ll be honest with you. If you’re looking for a true romance with this story, you won’t find it in the context of Cherry’s other books. This is a story about overcoming, not necessarily falling in love, although that is one of the focuses of this story. I loved Cherry’s insistence on moving us through Oliver and Emery’s stories individually, providing her readers with both the past and present to underscore her different messages. The cherry on the sundae of this story is Oliver and Emery’s slow-burn love story. 

I did receive an ARC of this story for an honest review, and they often have grammatical errors. If I have any criticism, it’s that. The writing was a bit messy as it was a draft, and, at times, it hindered the readability of the story. 

However, the overall flow and tenderness between Oliver and Emery draw you into Cherry’s The Mixtape. The allusions, the sentiment, the journey of her characters hold you captive to it. If you love the journey of broken people and their eventual healing, then you should definitely read Brittainy Cherry’s The Mixtape. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Lisa Hughey’s Sideways introduces us to two more Speakeasy Taproom series characters: Tracy aka Cee-Cee and Colt. Tracy must leave her beloved Boston, escaping a scandal threatening her prestigious family. Needing to go where no one knows her, Tracy lands in Colebury, home to the Speakeasy Taproom, the Busy Bean, and the Gin Mill. Thinking she will only need to stay a few days in Colebury before her scandal blows over, she finds out quickly that it will be much longer. Without enough resources, Tracy finds a job with Speakeasy even though she has no experience. It is there where Tracy meets Colt, an infamous chef hiding away from his own painful scandal.

At first glance, Colt believes Tracy is like every other rich person he served in his former kitchens. After a time, though, he realizes that “Cee-Cee” calms his anxiety and makes him a better person. As these two grow closer, breaking out of their self-imposed restrictions, their journey towards a happy ending is challenged. Will they find their happy ending?

I enjoyed Hughey’s Sideways. I love the Speakeasy Taproom stories that allow us further into that story. It allows us to encounter Sarina Bowen’s characters but it also connects us more deeply to the other stories in the series. Even more, I love a hero who is grumpy and working through his issues, especially when he is met with a sunshiney heroine who makes everyone smile. This is definitely the case with Colt and Tracy. They complement each other: a yin to the other’s yang. Hughey builds their chemistry nicely and their journey draws you into the book. 

If you have fallen into the World of True North, then you’ll want to read this Lisa Hughey’s Sideways.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Stolen by Jolie Vines is coming July 29th.

Pre order here: mybook.to/StolenScot

He’s a mountain rescue pilot. She’s about to fly into danger.  

Rory 

There are three things I know as fact: 

• There’s a million dollars in my bank account that isn’t mine 
• I planned a vacation fling with a hot Scottish guy…  
• But then kissed his twin by accident. Bam, cue fireworks.  

Now, if the universe could do me a solid and help me kiss him on purpose, I might forget my money troubles.  

Maddock 

Two years ago, I betrayed my brother in the worst possible way.  

I slept with his girlfriend.  

An accident on my behalf, but one that tore us apart. I’ll never hurt him like that again.  

I didn’t count on Rory Westacre slamming her way into my life and laying her lips on mine. I didn’t know I could fall for a lass with just one kiss. 

I’ll deny those feelings until the end of time in order to make things right with Max.   

But when the money in her account threatens her life, nothing will stop me from saving the woman who’s stolen my heart.  

Even if I can never have hers. 

Stolen is a standalone novel in the Wild Mountain Scots Amazon top 100 series. Expect sharp chemistry, heated scenes, and big love in the gorgeous Scottish Highlands.  

Remember, the pre-order copy of Stolen will include the bonus epilogue inside the book. 

Title: Relentless

Author: Adriana Locke

Cover Designer: Kari March

Release Date: July 22^nd

Preorder: https://geni.us/6IwidQC

Synopsis:

“I had to sneeze.” 

I should’ve taken her insurance information and driven off like any reasonable CEO with places to be would. 

She crashed into my car, for heaven’s sake.Becauseshe had to sneeze. 

What did I do? I didn’t get in my car and drive away, if that’s what you’re thinking. 

Nope. I stuck around. I could suggest I stayed because she needed help, but the truth? She was really, really hot.

We became fast friends. Then friends with benefits. Before I knew it, we were involved in an illicit office romance that had me fumbling through a drawerful of panties to get a Post-It. 

It was supposed to be easy—a fling, if you will. A dashing millionaire hero (*adjusts tie*) and a beautiful (stubborn, frustratingly independent, hell-on-wheels) damsel in distress. (Don’t tell her I said that.) 

It wasn’t supposed to be forever, but we did want a happy ending. (Pun intended.) We could’ve made it work, too. 

But one of us overcomplicated things with the L-word. And the other? They omitted a truth that changed everything. 

About Adriana Locke:

Hi! I’m Adriana Locke.

Who am I? To put it simply, I’m a contemporary romance author running on coffee and sticky kisses from my rowdy four little boys.

From Indiana, I’m a true Mid-Westerner. Life, for me, is about family, faith, and food. When I’m not running my kiddos around or having a lunch date of fajitas with my husband (and high school sweetheart), you can find me outside. I love a good sunny day almost as much as I love candy, random quotes, and steamy bad boys in fantastic books.

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Rebecca Norinne’s Homecoming begins with the perfect combination of elements: a woman returns to her hometown in the shadow of her divorce from her controlling narcissistic husband, a handsome, hunk of a hero lives in the carriage house on her family property, and they engage in a fake relationship to thwart her mother’s matchmaking attempts only to fall madly in love with each other. 

Here’s the thing. Homecoming starts out strong and feels sluggish towards its end. Once her hero, Preston, falls in love and commits to a real relationship with the book’s heroine, Rosalie, the story loses a bit of its forward motion. Norinne tries to remedy it with some last-minute tension between them, but, for me, it feels manufactured at best. Preston and Rosalie are fated, and they are the best combination. Both of them have been deeply hurt in past relationships, so they are reticent to leap into another relationship, but Norinne develops their chemistry so well that their pining is the perfect foreplay, kindling a fire that eventually is acted upon. 

See, that’s the thing with this story. You will adore Preston and Rosalie together. There is no moment that feels too heavy for these two. Yes, there is the requisite set-up reticence to falling for each other, but they become friends first and lovers eventually. When they encounter trouble, as the reader, you feel unhappy for a fracture in their friendship, but Norinne remedies it quickly with a deep conversation and forgiveness (usually on the part of Preston). 

There is a dastardly ex-husband to contend with, but as is the case with most romance, he gets his comeuppance. Rosalie’s mother is the comic relief of this story, and her wily ways of pushing these two together will make you smile big. 

While Preston and Rosalie’s story is a sweet one, you will see the cracks of the story at various points. However, Homecoming is another great addition to the Speakeasy world (even if its connection comes fairly late in the story). I recommend this book for its connection to the Speakeasy Taproom series. It will keep you connected while you feel all the love for Preston and Rosalie. 

In love and romance, 

Professor A

Carnal (adjective):
1) Relating to the pleasures of the body
2) Given to sensual indulgence
3) The man who kidnapped me

Carnal Urges, an all-new standalone mafia romance from J.T. Geissinger is available now!

Read my review HERE.

The devil has blue eyes, an Irish accent, and a hatred for me that runs deep.

He blames me for starting a war. Consorting with his enemies. Getting his men killed. Though I’m innocent on all charges, he wants his pound of flesh. With an eye on revenge, he makes me his captive.

But as we’ll both soon discover, there are more powerful urges than that for revenge.

When the devil meets his match but she’s his sworn enemy, that’s when the real war begins.

Download your copy today!
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Excerpt

We drive. He takes phone calls, one after another, speaking in Gaelic through each one. After maybe a dozen, he hangs up and turns to me. 

“Don’t try to run. It’s safer for you with me than anywhere else right now.”

“Trust me, my feet hurt too much to…What do you mean, it’s safer with you?”

“Exactly what I said.”

We gaze at each other as the limo speeds through the night. Wherever we’re going, we’re going there fast. “So all that stuff you threatened me with on the plane—”

He interrupts, “What kind of guns have you handled?”

When I blink, he growls, “Answer the fucking question, please.”

Please. Astonished, I open my mouth, then close it again. My second attempt is successful. “. 357 Desert Eagle. Glock G19. AK-47.”

His brows lift. He’s surprised by the AK. 

“Stavros had rifles lying all over the place. He liked to shoot at fish in the lake.”

“Of course he did. Fucking Russians.” He shakes his head in disgust, then leans down and pulls a small black pistol from a holder around his ankle. 

He hands it to me. 

“If we’re separated, use it on anyone who approaches you, even if they seem friendly. Even if it’s a little old lady, shoot that bitch between the eyes.”

I stare at him with my mouth hanging open and my eyes wide. 

He sends me a mirthless smile.  “At last. Silence.”

I can’t form words. This psychotic blue-eyed gangster has rendered me speechless. 

When I finally manage to regain control of my tongue, I say, “How do you know I’m not going to shoot you?”

“Are you?”

I consider it. “Maybe.”

“Decide. We don’t have much time.”

“You’re insane, is that it?”

“Believe me, lass, I sometimes wonder.”

Pulling a beefy silver semi-automatic handgun from his waistband at the small of his back, he continues. “Things are going to get bad. We’re going to take fire. The car is armored, but if the tires are compromised, we have about eighty kilometers before they die.”

He stops and looks at me. “That’s roughly fifty miles.”

I see. He doesn’t think I’m brain damaged, he thinks I’m just plain stupid. 

“I don’t give a shit about the tires. Rewind to the part about things getting bad and start over. What the hell is going on?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“If you can hand me a loaded gun and tell me to shoot an old lady between the eyes, you can tell me what’s happening. We’re past the honeymoon stage. Besides, I can handle it, no matter how bad it is. Spill.”

I could swear that flash in his eyes is admiration, but it’s probably just an urge to wrap his hands around my neck and choke me. 

And not in the good way. 

“War is what’s happening, Tinker Bell,”he says ominously. “War and all the bloody business that goes along with it.”

“Oh, swell. You’re being cryptic. I just love an incomprehensible Irishman. They’re my absolute favorite.”

“Careful. You’ll exhaust yourself using your entire vocabulary all at once.”

“Can you tell from my tone how much I want to smash the butt of this gun into your face?”

“Can you tell from my face how much I want to smash the palm of my hand into your butt?

”“That was stupid.”

“Says the girl who jumped from a speeding car.”

“I would’ve jumped from a skyscraper if it meant I wouldn’t have to be near you.”

“If I’d known that, I would’ve taken you straight to the top of the Hancock Tower.”

I roll my eyes. “Just tell me the truth. I swear I won’t burst into tears. The last time that happened was before I’d even gotten my first period.”

He pauses, his gaze assessing. “Tell me how it’s possible that you’re not scared of me, or of this situation, or of anything else as far as I can see, and I’ll tell you what’s happening.”

I give it serious thought for a moment. “Honestly? I’m just badass like that.”

After a short, disbelieving silence, Declan starts to laugh. 

It’s a deep, rich, sexy sound, beautifully masculine. I hate myself for liking it. And for noticing what nice white teeth he has. And how strong his jaw is. And is that a dimple in his cheek? 

He stops laughing abruptly, looking as disturbed by the unexpected outburst as I am. Guess he wasn’t expecting that, either. 

“Got that out of your system?”

Glowering, he says, “Aye.”

“Good. So who’s going to be shooting at us?”

“MS-13.”

More gangsters. I’m in up to my eyeballs. “Because…?”

“They don’t like me.”

I stare at him with my lower lip pinched between my teeth. 

He says drily, “Thank you for showing restraint. It must be incredibly difficult.”

“You have no idea.”

“There’s another reason they’re after me.”

When he only sits there gazing at me in inscrutable silence, I prompt, “Anytime you feel like enlightening me, I’m all ears.”

“You.”

About J.T. Geissinger

J.T. Geissinger is a #1 internationally bestselling author of emotionally charged romance and women’s fiction. Ranging from funny, feisty romcoms to intense, edgy suspense, her books have sold millions of copies and been translated into several languages, including German, Hebrew, French, Czech, and Japanese. The film & TV rights to her Night Prowler series have been optioned by the BAFTA-winning studio that created VFX for movies such as Avatar, X-Men, and The Avengers.

She is a three-time finalist in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book and the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy.

She’s a Southern California native currently living in Nevada with her husband and rescue kitty, Zoe.

Connect with J.T. Geissinger
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Website: http://www.jtgeissinger.com

Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Okay, so I want to be honest. Is it possible to be both excited and reticent with a new release from an author you’ve grown to seriously like? When Ava Ryan announced her Manhattan Billionaires series, I was in. She really stole my heart with her Cinderella series, and a fan connection was created. With the first two books of this current series, I was reminded of the reasons why I love her storytelling: her ability to seamlessly navigate complex characters while using usual tropes in a fresh manner. I had been waiting for Jake, though. The single dad trope is one of my favorites. However, I am not a usual fan of the nanny with the single dad because it feels done. So…I went into her newest book, His Secret Love, ready for more of Ryan’s storytelling while preparing myself for a stale trope. And I was pleasantly surprised. This newest book of Ryan’s illustrates her capacity to breathe fresh life into the usual, into the dependable. I fell in love with Jake and Skye regardless of the single dad/nanny trope. Here’s why…

1. For one, it isn’t really a nanny/single dad trope. For one, these two meet through a dating app, they hit it off, and they have a steamy one-night stand that messes with their understanding of relationships. I don’t think either of them is looking for anything serious, but something about their one-night stand upends their plans. 
2. The way in which Jake and Skye meet a second time is not an orchestration on their part. There is a third party responsible for it. This means that their second meet-cute is a shocker. 
3. Jake, while a total alpha in the bedroom, is a bit of a pussycat. His ex-wife is horrendous, and Jake is the type of dad who adores his children. As such, that compassion and care translate into other areas of his life. Ryan crafts it that Skye and Jake, aside from the complications of their work relationship, are easy together. You will adore Jake; you will adore Skye; and you will adore them together. So while there is tension with the parameters of their relationship, Ryan ameliorates it in a way that you become emotionally connected to them with very little angst involved. 
4. You have the promise of a happy ending, and the epilogue to this book is the most complete of the three stories in the series,  in my opinion. However, Ryan drops hints at a potential new book in a chapter or so before the end. I’m hoping and praying she’s going that route because I love an enemies-to-lovers’ type of story. 

Why else should you grab this book and read it over the weekend?

1. It’s a quick read. I didn’t want to put it down because the story flows.
2. Nothing is better than Liam, Michael, and Jake together. There are moments of hilarious banter between these three, but as you see with the earlier books in the series, these three generally love each other as brothers and provide counsel in a way that makes you adore their friendship. 
3. The ex-wife gets hers.
4. The kids are ADORABLE, and their relationship with Skye will make your heart sigh.

Again, Ava Ryan is a deft storyteller who I’ve come to rely on for stories that put a smile on my face. If you’re looking for a read for that purpose, then you’ll want to read His Secret Love. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

His Secret Love by Ava Ryan is now live!

Best one-night-stand of my life. Plot twist: she’s our new nanny…

Commitments? No thanks.

And after my painful divorce I’m also done with secrets and lies.

The occasional hookup is more my speed as a new billionaire, busy doctor and single dad.

But there’s something about Skye. That’s why I swiped right on her profile.

That’s why we enjoyed sizzling chemistry and an unforgettable one-night stand.

I meant it to be a one-time thing.

I never anticipated this growing obsession with her.

I certainly never expected my ex to hire her as our new nanny.

Now my life is full of messy secrets.

And the relentless desire to get feisty Skye back in my bed…

Don’t miss the final standalone in Ava Ryan’s sexy 
contemporary romance series, Manhattan Billionaires!

 Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
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      Meet Ava Ryan

Ava Ryan is an author of sexy contemporary romance. Her favorite things, in no special order, are animals, her family, cookies, people with great senses of humor and love stories. Currently in her writer’s cave (ostensibly working hard on her next book while also checking Netflix every few hours to make sure she hasn’t missed a new true crime documentary show), she loves hearing from readers via her website or social media. If you love billionaire alpha males, the feisty women who snag their hearts and books that end with a happily ever after, you’ve come to the right place. Please make sure to subscribe to Ava’s newsletter to stay in the loop about her latest releases and upcoming books!

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HOMECOMING BY REBECCA NORINNE

Release Date: July 1, 2021

Amazon: https://geni.us/AmazonHomecoming
Apple: https://geni.us/AppleHomecoming
Kobo: https://geni.us/KoboHomecoming
Nook: https://geni.us/NookHomecoming
Google: https://geni.us/GoogleHomecoming
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2NXqswY
Series Page → https://hearteyespress.com/wotn#/speakeasy-taproom/

Cover Design: Elle Maxwell Designs

About the Book:

Who knew falling in love with my fake girlfriend could feel so real?

I don’t have time for distractions, which is a huge problem since my new next-door neighbor Rosalie Wentworth is very distracting. She’s kind, beautiful, and makes me laugh like no woman ever has before. 

Unfortunately, the two of us add up to one really sad country song—I’m nursing a bruised ego following a broken engagement and she’s suffering through a messy divorce—so I vow to set my attraction aside and focus on being her friend instead. 

That’s easier said than done, however, since her mom is convinced Rosalie and I are perfect for each other. When one of her matchmaking schemes goes a step too far, Rosalie and I hatch a plan of our own: pretend to date for a couple of months to get her mom off our backs.

It’s foolproof, really. 

Only, what started as a fake relationship is starting to feel very real, and now I don’t know if I can go back to the way things were before. Because it turns out if home is where the heart is, then Rosalie is mine.

EXCERPT:

She didn’t know why he didn’t like her. 

Everyone liked her. She went out of her way to be cordial and welcoming. But this guy had a shield around him so thick that even in a crowded bar he sat alone and isolated. He watched the action on the restaurant floor with a bit of wistfulness. And she wondered what his story was.

“Is there a reason you don’t like me?” She couldn’t believe those words had spilled from her mouth. She had spent her entire life being nice, being polite, and being agreeable. But when she asked him, there had been a challenge in her voice. The freedom was liberating.

He ate his hash slowly as if savoring each bite of food. The chef was pretty amazing.

She waited as he chewed. He glanced out the side of his eyes, a gorgeous hazel that she totally should not have noticed. This close to him his scent was a mixture of sunscreen and warmth and clean sweat as if he’d spent the day in the sun. Earthy. Masculine. And very, very sexy.

She shouldn’t notice how sexy he was. He didn’t like her.

She was tired of waiting for an answer. She propped her hands on her hips and leaned into his personal space. “You don’t even know me.”

“I don’t have to know you.” He flipped a glance her way. “I know your type.”

Her type? “What type? Nice? Invested in making people happy?”

“Rich, clueless, and arrogant.”

“Yeah, well you’re grumpy, irritating, and wrong.”

Her feet throbbed and now her head ached. She rarely cried but everything about today had been difficult. Feeling like a fish out of water wasn’t pleasant. She wanted to go back to her busy life and her active friendships. But she was stuck here for the moment. And her eyes burned.

Tracy took a deep breath and focused on something else. She needed to channel her alter ego. What would Cee-Cee do?

She had imagined Cee-Cee For so long. Cee-Cee spoke her mind and didn’t worry about optics. She didn’t even know what optics were.

“I’m making the best of a bad situation.” She defended her actions.

But as she looked at him, she realized there was more going on than his slightly derogatory comments about her. He’d done a weird turn thing so he wasn’t facing the bar but sort of sideways. It had to be hard to eat that way.

“You need to stop running away from your problems.”

Her heart stopped. Did he know who she was? Hopefully he was just intuitive. “Easier said than done.”

“Of course it is. Hard things aren’t supposed to be easy.” He said it as if he was intimately familiar with hard things.

She wasn’t about to let him off the hook. He clearly had his own issues.

“Maybe you need to take your own advice,” she shot back. Damn straight.

“Maybe you’re right.”

HOMECOMING BY REBECCA NORINNE

Release Date: July 1, 2021

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://geni.us/AmazonHomecoming
Apple: https://geni.us/AppleHomecoming
Kobo: https://geni.us/KoboHomecoming
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Google: https://geni.us/GoogleHomecoming
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2NXqswY
Series Page → https://hearteyespress.com/wotn#/speakeasy-taproom/

Cover Design: Elle Maxwell Designs

About the Book:

Who knew falling in love with my fake girlfriend could feel so real?

I don’t have time for distractions, which is a huge problem since my new next-door neighbor Rosalie Wentworth is very distracting. She’s kind, beautiful, and makes me laugh like no woman ever has before. 

Unfortunately, the two of us add up to one really sad country song—I’m nursing a bruised ego following a broken engagement and she’s suffering through a messy divorce—so I vow to set my attraction aside and focus on being her friend instead. 

That’s easier said than done, however, since her mom is convinced Rosalie and I are perfect for each other. When one of her matchmaking schemes goes a step too far, Rosalie and I hatch a plan of our own: pretend to date for a couple of months to get her mom off our backs.

It’s foolproof, really. 

Only, what started as a fake relationship is starting to feel very real, and now I don’t know if I can go back to the way things were before. Because it turns out if home is where the heart is, then Rosalie is mine.

EXCERPT:

“Oh!” my mom chirped, her head swinging between the man standing at the bottom of the stairs and me. 

In the dim glow of the porch light, I could see the cheeks above his closely cropped beard were flushed with embarrassment. He shuffled the toe of his work boot through the fallen leaves scattered at his feet. When our gazes connected, my breath caught, and I felt a swooping sensation in the pit of my belly—not unlike that moment when you’ve reached the top of the hill on a roller coaster and the car careens forward, faster than you expected. 

For a brief, flashing moment, he looked as startled as I felt, but then he blinked, and his face became a mask of polite indifference. 

That was … odd.

I jerked my head to dislodge the strange feelings that had swept through me and directed my attention back to my mother, my hands planted firmly on my hips in annoyance. “What did I tell you?”

She waved an unbothered hand in front of her face. “Psh. You’re too concerned about what other people think.”

Not for the first time, I wondered if my being that way was in direct contrast to her never being concerned enough. But that was an argument we’d had more times than I could count, and I’d never come out on the winning end of it. The truth of the matter was that Gloria Mitchell marched to the beat of her own drum, and you could join her parade or get the hell out of the way. Sometimes, I wished I could be more like my mom, but right now—when I was broken and battered from that final, soul-sucking year of my marriage—all I wanted was to fade into the background. That had never been her way, though, and I was foolish to hope that might change now.

“Besides, it’s just Preston.” She gestured at the man whose gaze had darted toward the woods to the right of our house, his features pinched with what looked like discomfort at being caught between mother and daughter. “Who’s he going to gossip to about you being back?”

Her words sank in. “That’s Preston?” My voice pitched up at the end, a mixture of confusion and disbelief. For the last six months, she’d alternatively referred to him as “that nice young man next door” or “that sweet boy Preston.” 

Except this was no boy. The person standing below us was all man. Easily over six feet tall, his thick, dark beard was cropped close to his jaw, setting off a pair of full lips that were currently turned down in a slight frown. Muscular, flannel-clad arms were crossed over his broad chest while his feet were braced shoulder-width apart. The whole Vermont lumberjack vibe didn’t usually do it for me, but I would have been lying if I said he wasn’t the sexiest man I’d ever laid eyes on. It was no wonder I was standing there with my jaw hanging open, collecting flies. “You said he was young.” 

She chuckled, and he shuffled on his feet. He looked desperate to be anywhere but here. I couldn’t entirely blame him. “It’s a figure of speech, Rosie. Everyone is young compared to me.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, inadvertently mimicking his stance. When I realized what I’d done, I quickly dropped them down to my sides and balled my hands into tight fists. “From the way you described him, I assumed he was nineteen or twenty. That—” I pointed accusingly in his direction “—is a grown-ass man.” 

From below, I heard a muffled chuckle abruptly covered by the rumbling of him clearing his throat. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the slight lifting of his lips before I turned my glare back on my mother.

She brushed my comment aside for the second time in as many minutes. “Of course he’s a man, dear. And you’re in luck, because he’s a strong one, too.”

Before I could respond to that, she turned toward the man in question. “Will you be a dear and help Rosalie bring the rest of her stuff inside?” She gestured toward my beat-up Volvo. I’d brought my large suitcase and a few smaller weekender bags inside but had left the five or six boxes I’d haphazardly packed—intent on a speedy getaway—in the back hatch of the car.   

“Sure thing.” Preston swiped his hand over his jaw, but not before I saw the traces of an amused grin split his lips. I was glad he thought this was funny, because I certainly didn’t.

Although I also wasn’t quite sure why I was so damn annoyed.

What did it matter if he was closer to thirty-two than twenty-two? I tried to tell myself him being a grown-ass man—I inwardly groaned as I recalled saying that out loud—had no bearing whatsoever on my life. He was my mother’s renter and sometime handyman, nothing more.