Friday, November 22, 2013

Book Highlight: Deep Blue Secret by Christie Anderson


Title: Deep Blue Secret by Christie Anderson
Genre: Young Adult

A sweet, mysterious teen romance with a refreshing fantasy twist. California teen Sadie James thinks her life couldn't get any better. She has great friends, an energetic mother she adores, and the beach practically in her own backyard. But her carefree life is turned upside down when she's rescued by a mysterious and strangely familiar boy who won't even tell her his name. Each time the boy appears, Sadie's unexplainable attraction to him deepens along with her need to unravel his secrets. The boy is there to protect her, but as wonderful and exciting as it might be to have an irresistible boy with crystal green eyes protecting her every move, every minute of the day...why does Sadie need one? As Sadie finds answers, she realizes her life isn't as perfect as she thought. Not only is she caught in a world of dangerous secret agents she never knew existed, but it turns out her true identity may be the greatest secret of all.



Deep Blue Secret is available free!


 Amazon  |   Barnes and Noble   |  iTunes  |  Kobo  |  Smashwords


I moved near him and his hand guided me in front of the bench, but I turned to face him instead of sitting down. He immediately shifted back, pulling slightly away. I wasn’t sure if it was the bump on my head suddenly clouding my thoughts, or the romance of being swept away and rescued by a gorgeous, mysterious boy, or this little ache in my heart of forgotten memories and dreams, but something deep inside me drew me towards him.

I wanted to reach out and hold him, but I held the feelings back, unsure if I should act on them. Instead, I stood there unmoving, still gazing up at him. He was tall compared to most high school boys I knew. I searched his face for any sign of reciprocation and moved closer. This time he didn’t move away.


“Thank you again,” I said softly, looking up at him through my lashes.


There was a long, heavy pause as I waited breathlessly for his response. His glowing eyes met mine, and their radiance hypnotized me. I could see nothing else.


Then I felt it again, the unexplainable connection between us. Time slowed around us like a force field pulling us together. I had no desire to resist it; I let the feelings draw me in, and I inched forward, wishing for his lips on mine. His hand lifted gently to my waist, sending a thrill through me in every direction. Never before had I felt the desire to kiss someone so fervently, the divine first kiss I had always dreamed of.


There was no trace of resistance left on his face. He leaned into me and my heart raced. Our faces grew slowly together as I looked from his dazzling eyes to his inviting lips.




CHRISTIE ANDERSON grew up in Southern California and goes back to visit every year. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University and recently moved to Colorado with her husband. Visit her web site at www.christieanderson.org


Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Highlight hosted by Good Choice Reading Promotions 


Thursday, November 21, 2013

Review: If You Stay by Courtney Cole

If You Stay      
By:
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Series: Beautifully Broken

Description:
24-year old Pax Tate is an asshole.
Seriously.

He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match.

But he’s got his reasons.

His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count.

As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade.
So he slipped far, far from it.

Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right?
Wrong.

And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila.
Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.

When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one…the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness.

But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it.

He knows that. And he’s working on it.

But is that enough to make her stay?


Review:
So this book definitely started out with a huge bang, like HELLO I'm here and I'm going to shock you and you are going to love it. I can definitely say I loved the beginning of this book because it was real and as much of an a$$hole as Pax is in this book you got to give it to him in this scene, if he was an actor it would have been brilliant. 

Like I said it started out really strong, then I'm not going to lie I was slightly bored and not loving the main female character of Mila.  She's like a contradiction of herself in so many ways, she seems super sweet and very innocent almost too much so but then she will paint in the nude, doesn't make sense to me.  She irritated me a little about how innocent she was trying to be but a freak behind closed doors if you know what I mean (she’s the epitome of the sweet girl but a freak in the sheets). I just can’t connect with her.

There is definitely a story here as they've both been through the loss of parents and even exposed to abuse, but I just didn't feel for the characters.  I didn’t get that attachment I love to have to characters while reading a book, it’s as if I was a third party going through the motions.  Pax is revered as being such a bad boy but other than drinking and the drugs in the beginning he doesn’t even seem that bad.  Their scenes together though, some were very steamy and racy and that is always entertaining.  They were unquestionably some of the better scenes in the book.

But then something major happens, and I’ve connected to Pax.  I feel for him and the things he has to go through, to suppress such experiences and having them revealed so suddenly.  Such a horrible thing happened to him and it all depends now on how he handles it and as long as he has his Mila and his family he can get through it.  This happens in the middle of the book and I’m happy I got there finally, because now it starts to flow with some action and not the r rated version, but the kind of action that pulls at your heartstrings. 

Overall this book started out with a bang and it definitely had its highs and lows but when all is said and done it was an enjoyable book to read and I’m happy I picked it up.  I really love the cover and that’s what initially made me want to pick this book up and read it.

Promo: The Sh!t No One Tells You by Dawn Dais



The Sh!t No One Tells You - PROMO Blitz
by Dawn Dais
Non Fiction   / Parenting / Humor
Date Published: 6/2013


There comes a time in every new mother’s life when she finds herself staring at her screaming, smelly “bundle of joy” and wishing someone had told her that her house would reek of vomit, or that she shouldn’t buy the cute onesies with a thousand impossible buttons, or that she might cry more than the baby.

Best-selling humor author Dawn Dais, mother of two and author of The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women, is convinced that there is a reason for this lack of preparedness. She believes that a vast conspiracy exists to hide the horrific truth about parenting from doe-eyed expectant mothers who might otherwise abandon their babies in hospitals and run for it. In The Sh!t No One Tells You, Dais tells it like it is, revealing what it’s really like to be a new parent and providing helpful insights, humor, and hope for those who feel overwhelmed by the exhausting trials they’re suddenly facing. Eschewing the adorableness that oozes out of other parenting books, Dais offers real advice from real moms—along with hilarious anecdotes, clever tips, and the genuine encouragement every mom needs in order to survive the first year of parenthood.

Dawn Dais
Author Links


BUY LINKS





This Promo Blitz is brought to you by Reading Addiction Book Tours

Reading Addiction Blog Tours

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Review: What the Bride Didn't Know by Kelly Hunter

What the Bride Didn't Know
By: Kelly Hunter
Release Date: October 22, 2013

Description:
Shh…it's a secret!

Special ops expert Trig Sinclair is a man's man, and that means he knows the cardinal rule of the bro code—no matter how dynamite Lena West is, as his best friend's younger sister, she's strictly off-limits!

But when a secret mission to Istanbul sees Lena and Trig pretending to be married (and sharing a bed!), he finds himself in a whole new world of sweet torture…. But if Trig thinks playing the honor-bound hero is tough, it's got nothing on how Lena feels when she discovers what her "groom" is really hiding….

Links


Review:

This is definitely how I remember Harlequin books to be, sweet and adorable with a little intrigue and of course love, undeniable love. I've missed reading Harlequin romance type books, but I love this new brand they are throwing out there with the Kiss editions, I love contemporary romance, well really anything contemporary so this was definitely up my alley. 

We meet Lena as she is recovering from a botched assignment where she gets hit and she’s on a mission to find her brother who has been MIA for months.  Trig her brother’s best friend, and her babysitter decides to tag along as they go to Turkey to look for Jared.  During this trip Lena with her limited mobility and reflexes is mugged, where she happens to hit her head and lose her memory.  This is a recipe for trouble, but is it good trouble?

I don’t want to give too much away as it is a short novel, but it’s crazy when people lose their memories and start to learn new things about themselves. I think sometimes the true person comes out a little of the old and a little of the new combined to make the best person they could be.  They have both been attracted to each other for as long as they could remember but they never did act on it for one reason or another and this memory loss gives them that excuse.

Overall this book was adorable and very much what you would expect from a Harlequin Kiss novel and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.  On to the next one for sure.  The characters were interesting and you definitely rooted for them to succeed in their endeavors, Fun light read to get you in that kind of mood.

Disclaimer:
I received this book from NetGalley and Harlequin, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!

Promo: First Position by Prescott Lane



First Position - Promo Blitz

By Prescott Lane

Contemporary Romance
Date Published: May 2013

Emory faces life’s challenges at the one place that’s never failed her, the ballet barre.  But even the barre can’t steady her when fate brings her face-to-face with her old college flame, Mason, who’s hoping to return to the NFL after a career-threatening injury.  Before they can surrender to their sexual desires and find salvation in each other’s arms, they need to come to terms with their past.  Mason must confront the demons that have set him on a path of self-destruction, while Emory must decide whether to keep her painful secrets locked away, or expose them and risk losing the love of her life.  But nothing can prepare Mason for what Emory has kept hidden, or the possibility that he himself may be to blame for the very secrets she keeps – and why they continue to haunt her.



EXCERPT


Wesley opened his biscuit with a knife.  “So, little miss, want to fess up to what you were doing yesterday?”

“Well, it depends,” she said.  “Before or after, I threw my half-naked body at Mason?”

Wesley dropped the knife.  “Excuse me?”

Tomás raised his eyebrows, and gave her a smile.  “It was just for a little while,” she said playfully.

“How little?” Wesley munched on his biscuit.

“Not too long.”

“How naked?”

“I told you -- about half.”

“Which half?”

“A little of both.”

“Both breasts?”

“No.  Top and bottom.”

“Is that so?”  Wesley took a sip of his drink, thoughtfully considering what she had said, like he was some kind of philosopher.  “Any action?”

“I tried.”

“How hard?”

“Pretty hard.”

“Was he?”  Wesley grinned at Tomás, and took another bite of his biscuit.

“Shut up,” she said blushing.  “We decided it was best to take things slow.”

“That’s too bad,” Wesley said, and Tomás slapped his arm.  “In all seriousness, I’m happy for you.”

“Me too,” Emory said, rising from the table with her and Tomás’ plates. 

Wesley grabbed her shoulder, and whispered in her ear, “Did you tell him?”  Emory shook her head walking to the sink, and Wesley shot her a disapproving look.  Tomás eyed them both curiously.  “He deserves to know!”

Tomás mouthed to Wesley, “Know what?”  Wesley shook his head that it was none of his business.

“No lectures, Wesley.”  She scrubbed the plates.  “Let me enjoy myself and Mason before I ruin it.” 

“You need to stop running,” Wesley said.

“I’ll stop when you stop.”

Tomás had no idea what they were bickering about, but whatever it was, he knew that was a great response.  Emory wiped her hands on a kitchen towel, then walked towards her bedroom, yelling back to Wesley, “That means go to your sister’s wedding!”

 


About the Author:


Prescott Lane is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Centenary College in 1997 with a degree in sociology. She went on to Tulane University to receive her MSW in 1998, after which she worked with developmentally delayed and disabled children. She currently resides in New Orleans with her husband and two children.

Author Links

Buy Link


This Promo Blitz is brought to you by Reading Addiction Book Tours

Reading Addiction Blog Tours

Monday, November 18, 2013

Blog Tour: Snowed Over by Angie Stanton



Snowed Over
By: Angie Stanton
Release Date: October 2012

Description:

To college student, Katie Brandt, ‘Home for the Holidays’ sounds like hell. When her parents separated, their holiday traditions shattered like a dropped ornament. What could be worse than celebrating Christmas with her suddenly single mom and mom’s new boyfriend?

Alex Walker, an engaged 20-year-old, dreads going home for his own reasons. He has a daunting task ahead of him and wishes he could skip the holidays altogether. So when a friend of a friend needs a ride north, Alex finds that having beautiful Katie seated by his side proves to be just the distraction he needs.

A simple ride home for Christmas turns into a nightmare when light snow rages into a full-scale blizzard. Katie and Alex find themselves stranded, and a vacant cabin becomes a haven from the storm.
Under different circumstances, time alone with Alex would be the ultimate Christmas gift, but Katie knows Alex is engaged and she must hide her growing attraction.

However, Alex harbors a secret that just might change this holiday from the worst Christmas ever, to the best.

Review:
This was a very sweet, adorable quick read.  Very cookie cutter and wholesome and sometimes we all need a little bit of that in our lives, even if it may be too sweet for you.  This was a novella that reminded us that the holidays are on the way, and I need to get my Christmas shopping done, otherwise I might be buying it at a gas station or something, he he.

We meet Katie as she's about to go meet her family up north, and Alex was kind enough to give her a ride up there since he lives so close.  Well sure enough a huge storm hits and they have to find shelter so that they can wait out the storm.  Luckily they find a cabin and cozy up with one another to keep warm.  If it was me up there I don't know what I would do but I can say they were very fortunate to find a place and to actually get along with one another.  Alex isn't single though and Katie just needs to keep reminding herself of this even though she is definitely catching feelings for him.

The two of them know how to make the best of the worst situation and it's very sweet and endearing to see them work together to get things done, such as food and keeping warm while still trying to figure out how to get home. I really don't want to give any spoilers away because again it's a novella so it's a quick and easy read but that also means it's short.  Just remember to always be prepared and sometimes the heart wants things and sometimes good things happen.  That was very vague right?  Anyway if you feel like getting in the spirits make sure you read this because again it was adorable.

About the Author:

Angie Stanton never planned on writing books, she wanted to be a Rockette. However, growing up in a rural setting with her brothers' 4-H pigs as pets, dance didn't work out. Instead she became an avid daydreamer. After years of perfecting stories in her head she began to write them down and the rest is history.

She loves dipping French fries in chocolate shakes, natural disaster movies and Broadway Musicals. When not writing, Angie is concocting ways to make more dreams come true, whether it be tickets to a Broadway show or convincing her family they should rent an RV and travel the country. She's still working on that one.

Angie is a proud double finalist of the 2011 National Readers Choice Awards for Love 'em or Leave 'em, as well as a finalist for the Golden Quill Awards.

Author Social Media Links:

AngieStanton.com

Facebook.com/AngieStantonAuthor

Giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


To see other stops on the tour for reviews, guest posts, and excerpts click here.
 

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Book Highlight: The Wedding by Lorhainne Eckhart

The Wedding by Lorhainne Eckhart
Genre: Adult Romance

A man who’s always planned everything, and a woman who’s struggled alone—The Wedding will change their lives forever.

Candy McCrae has everything she could ever want, and she’s about to marry the one man she’s always loved. He has money, he’s powerful, he’s drop-dead gorgeous, and he has a very close, attentive family with babies, nieces, and nephews running everywhere. For the first time, Candy has someone making decisions for her. So why is she so nervous?

Candy is the one woman Neil has always wanted, a woman who doesn’t care about flash and glitter and status, and he can’t get her to the altar fast enough. He has plans for his bride-to-be. He wants a family, lots of children, and for her to be a part of his world, with all its money, power, and million-dollar deals. He’ll look after her so she’ll never have to struggle again, and he’s planned and organized everything.

She goes along with it until the wedding, when she takes Neil’s hand to be his wife, and what she’s refused to share will change their lives forever.…




2012 was an amazing year in the publishing world for me, and it started with The Forgotten Child, which landed on the Amazon bestseller list for western romance and romance series. 2013 has seen me posted in the top 100 authors on Amazon for romantic suspense, mystery/thrillers, and police procedurals.

Where did it all begin? In 2008, I published my first novel, The Captain’s Lady, a contemporary military romance, through The Wild Rose Press. I’ve since received the rights back from my publisher, and I rewrote the book and republished it with a brand new title, Saved.

I write edgy romantic suspense (Walk the Right Road Series), western romance (Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series), and young adult mystery, and I warn my readers to expect the unexpected. I’m a mother of three children and we live on a small island in the Pacific Northwest. I encourage you to contact me by email; I do answer every email I receive.

Stay tuned. There is more to come from the Walk the Right Road Series and Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series, as well as a brand new western romance series coming later this fall, The One.

And to my readers and all of you who have shared my stories with your family and friends, a big, heartfelt thank-you.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Book Blast: The Art of Letting Go by Anna Bloom

The Art of Letting Go by Anna Bloom
New Adult Contemporary Romance
393 pages; Published September 25th, 2013

One year. One woman. One Diary. One question: can you ever stop history from repeating itself and if you could what would you do to stop it?

When Lilah McCannon realises at the age of twenty-five that history is going to repeat itself and she is going to become her mother—bored, drunk and wearing a twinset—there is only one thing to do: take drastic action.

Turning her back on her old life, Lilah’s plan is to enrol at university, get a degree and prove she is a grown-up.

As plans go, it is a good one. There are rules to follow: no alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys and no going home. But when Lilah meets the lead singer of a local band and finds herself unexpectedly falling in love, she realises her rules are not going to be the only things hard to keep.

With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces a barrage of new challenges: will she ever make it up the Library stairs without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking vodka? Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? And most importantly, can she become the grown-up that she desperately wants to be.

With her head and her heart pulling her in different directions can Lilah learn the hardest lesson that her first year of university has to teach her: The Art of Letting Go?






16th September
  
6.00 a.m.
  
Holy shit! My head.
There are no words.
Just pain. Pounding. Pounding, pain.
Why? Oh why? Oh why?
Oh yes, that’s right. Champagne, Tequila, Beer, Wine.
That would do it.
Oh, God, the pain!
Water would be very good right now, but water means keeping my eyes open and using my legs, and I know that is going to hurt even more. Too much too cope with.
My mouth feels like the Sahara with no oasis in sight. I would do anything for an Oasis right now, or an Evian. Who am I kidding? I would do anything for tap water right now.
I wonder if I can crawl myself to the bathroom and just lay in the bath with my mouth positioned under the tap for an hour.
I wonder if the other girls got home okay?
I cannot for the life of me remember anything. I have just woken up in my bed. I am just thankful that it is my bed.
Wait a minute. How did I even get home?
I have no recollection of the walk across campus or the however many flights of stairs it is to the dorm, and I most certainly do not remember entering my room and getting into bed.
Shit.
I am definitely in my room, so that is good. My unpacked boxes are still scattered around and I can see remnants of last night’s whirlwind dress-up scattered where I left them.
Wish I had not bothered.
I have just peeked under the duvet. I am also dressed, which I am pleased about, considering.
As slowly as I can manage without causing my brain to bleed or eyeballs to fall out, I sit up. I need to get out of the tangle of silk dress and cotton sheets, which are cutting off the blood supply to my legs.
Honest to god, I think my brain may be about to explode. There is a searing pain above my right eye, and a steady banging located in the back of my skull. It may be my brain attempting an escape.
Okay. That’s strange. There are three bottles of water lined up in a row next to my neatly placed shoes. Where the hell did they come from? Meredith, perhaps?
Nope. It's no good. I need to lie down again. I sat up way too soon.
  
The Fresher’s Ball
  
7.00 a.m.
OH, FUCK! Oh no, no, no, no, no.
I can’t believe it! I have woken up and can now remember the Fresher’s Ball, in all its high-definition 3D glory.
This is all I can remember of how I broke every single one of my Uni rules. I am going to write it down and then I am going to forget about it until the day I die, which may very well be later today.
The Fresher’s Ball completely rocks, but this may be because I break the ‘No Drinking’ rule by consuming:
   
Half a bottle of champagne
Three tequila shots
Three bottles of beer
Three glasses of water (to keep a balance)
Two glasses of wine
  
Note to self: This amount of alcohol causes significant pain and memory misplacement.
   
Halfway through the evening, the room is spinning in an alarming fashion and I am using the wall as a support. I would like to move away from it and dance with my roommates, but I am scared that: A. My legs will fall off, or B. I will be sick. So instead I just stand and lean, sipping some more water.
The live band is great, though unfortunately I have to look at them through one eye. If I open both eyes, everything gets a bit blurry.
The lead singer is damn hot: tall and slim with a shock of dark hair and flashing blue eyes that I can see all the way over from my safety spot against the wall.
Ha ha! If I open both eyes there are two of him!
One eye, one singer. Two eyes, two singers. One eye, one singer. Two eyes, two singers.
I think he may be glancing in my direction, but cannot be sure. Maybe he is just working out if he needs to get someone to call an ambulance for me.
Oh no! I probably look like I am winking at him. I am such an idiot!
I decide to head back to the bar and get another bottle of water. Without a backwards glance at the stage—let’s be honest I am in no condition to be glancing anywhere—I make my way to the bar. Froebel college is an old mansion house made up of a rabbit warren of rooms that I stumble my way through until I find where they have hidden the bar. Once there, I attempt to communicate with the barman for a bottle of overpriced water.
Sipping my drink, I turn from the bar, but someone is blocking my path back to the exit. I look up and see a pair of blue eyes twinkling down at me.
Ah, pretty, blue sparkly eyes like the sky at midday. I appear to be completely at a loss for words. Again.
A dark head lowers to examine me closer.
“Ben,” he introduces, holding his hand out to me, his blue eyes crinkling.
On closer inspection, I see they are surrounded by the cutest freckles I have ever seen.
“Lilah,” I respond, taking his hand. I don’t shake it, I just hold it.
That is so not cool.
I hope I am not still looking through just one eye. “You’re the singer guy, right?” At least my tongue still works.
He flashes me a wicked smirk. “Singer guy, I am,” he replies, his hand still holding mine.
I have no urge to move away.
“You’re the girl in the knock out white dress,” he adds.
I have nothing to say to this, but he laughs all the same.
“Would you like to go outside for some fresh air?” he asks, leaning forward slightly and talking right into my ear. His warm breath sends shivers down my arm and various other places.
“I should find my friends,” I say. I don’t want to. I want to follow the blues outside, but there is a teeny tiny part of my inebriated brain that knows this may be a bad idea.
“Come on, Lilah.” He tugs at my hand, and my willpower crumbles like a sandcastle in the tide and I follow him without a second thought.
  
I Will Not Talk to Boys . . . Much
  
Hold on a minute. It gets worse.
Outside, he takes a crumpled packet of cigarettes out of his jeans pocket. I cannot help but focus on his hand sliding into the tight space of his dark blue jeans.
I am a dirty pervert.
He offers me one, and I automatically accept.
Well, that is a pile of Crap!
I have broken all four of my cardinal rules within twenty-four hours of starting Uni.
Well done, Delilah! I offer myself an imaginary clap on the back.
“I wasn’t winking at you, by the way.” I assure him.
“What?”
“Um, nothing.”
“So you here as a guest or a student?” he asks, leaning in and lighting my ciggie for me.
“Student,” I reply, attempting not to slur.
He lifts an eyebrow at this.
“Yes, I know I am old!” I retort. I should just walk away but my legs are not responding to any command my brain makes. Apart from the one that instructs me to stand there like a dick.
“Hardly.” The blues hold mine.
“Twenty-five is pretty old compared to all the spring chickens in there.” I motion my head to the hall behind me full of dancing teenagers.
Motioning of head is not such a great idea. My vision is about 5 seconds behind.
“I’m twenty-five,” blue-eyed Ben informs me.
“Oh.”
“So what are you studying?”
He is standing really close, very close indeed. I seem to be staring at his lips as he speaks, they are all I can focus on. Everything else is blurred or doubled.
I take a long drag of my cigarette.
“History,” I tell him, waiting for the laugh. None comes. “So, have you been with the band long?”
“Ten years.”
“Wow! That’s a long time.” It really is.
“Yeah, I guess.” He throws his cigarette away and I follow suit. He still does not move away from me. This guy obviously does not follow the rules of etiquette regarding personal space.
 “You don’t recognise me, do you?”
Of all the questions I am expecting, this one is not it. “No. Should I?”
“I played at a Christmas party last year. You were there.”
I stare at the blues as he speaks; they are a little mesmerising. Let’s just hope I have my mouth closed.
I remember the band now, and I vaguely remember him. Well, not him exactly, but something about the colour blue. John had been a complete arsehole that evening, not leaving me alone for a minute. It had been suffocating and in the end we had left early. The evening was so bad I have forced myself to never think about it again.
“Sorry,” I offer. I kind of am.
“I think I prefer the white dress to the red.”
What?! He can remember the dress I was wearing nine months ago! I am about to say something . . . anything . . .
Then he is kissing me: his mouth warm and firm on mine.
WHAT ON EARTH AM I DOING?
It should be strange, but it is not as strange as you’d think. I automatically lean in and slide my hands into his black hair, pulling him down closer. His hand grazes down my back and over my left butt cheek. I am not complaining though. Nope, no complaints here. None at all.
Just like that my knees start to go. His arms slide around me holding me up and I think he may be chuckling, but I am not sure. It is hard to hear anything above the roaring in my ears.
This is the point I realise I am going to be sick all over a complete stranger I have just snogged.
“I think I should help you home,” he says into my ear.
“What? No way! If you think I am going to let you take me home so I will have sex with you, you’re sorely mistaken! I am not some gir—” My words are cut off by his lips. I try to protest but soon give up. It is not the most convincing protest I have ever made. I have protested more over cold toast.
“I am not taking you home so I can take advantage of you,” he says after finally pulling away so I can gasp a breath.
“You are really rather drunk and I think you should let me help you home,” he continues, a smile playing on his lips. He is probably right.
I can barely stand up, though I am not sure if that is through lack of oxygen whilst kissing or from too much booze.
“Besides,” he says with a twinkle of blues, “when I do have sex with you, I would rather you were a little more sober.”
I start to protest again but his arms lift me up and throw me over his shoulder in a very unflattering fireman lift.
“Where do you live, Lilah?” he asks.
He is never going to know, so I tell him, just so he has to admit he does not have a clue.
To my immense surprise he just starts striding off across campus.
I try to think of ways to get down, but in the end just give up and stare at his rather tidy arse as my eyesight starts to go black.
  
This is all I remember.
So kill me now.
I can’t believe that I got drunk enough to snog a stranger, even a hot one. What a complete bloody idiot. I may never, ever leave this room again. Ever.
I am going back to sleep. Hopefully when I wake up I will realise that this has all been a hideous nightmare.






Anna Bloom is a contemporary romance writer who writes about life as it happens. Combining a busy schedule of looking after two small children whilst working in a local school and completing The Uni Files series she also spends a lot of time imagining kissing hot guys – all in the name of her art.





a Rafflecopter giveaway