Sponsored by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
For Madison Grayson, life is good. Newly licensed as a marriage and family therapist, she can’t wait to start her practice. Despite the unfortunate shortage of eligible bachelors on the island—they’re all too young, too old, or too weird—Maddie feels like she’s finally found her sweet spot. Not even one panic attack in the last year. Not one. And then Ricky O’Shea drops in. Literally. Floating down from the sky, the one man in the world she hoped never to see again—the one who’d been her archnemesis from kindergarten—parachutes into town.
Happy Monday, folks! We’ve got something special to enjoy together today. You all know every once in awhile Kissing Books gets to be the place to show you exciting new covers and good new words. This time, we’ve got a cover for you to ogle and some words to whet your appetite.
About Secret Crush Seduction by Jayci Lee…
She’s done waiting for what she really wants. Aspiring fashion designer Adelaide Song wants to prove she’s more than just a pampered heiress. All she needs is a little courage—and the help of deliciously sexy Michael Reynolds, her childhood crush and her brother’s best friend. But when her secret crush turns into an illicit liaison, Adelaide realizes mixing business with pleasure spells trouble for all her plans…
Jayci Lee writes poignant, funny, and sexy romance. She lives in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys with boundless energy, and a fluffy rescue whose cuteness is a major distraction. She is semi-retired from her 15-year career as a defense litigator, and writes full-time now. She loves food, wine, and travelling, just like her characters. Books have always helped her grow, dream, and heal. She hopes her books will do the same for you.
So are you ready for the cover?
Here it is!!!
Oh gosh, I’m ready for this book already. If you need something to slake your thirst, here’s a short excerpt…
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Adelaide’s annoyance with Michael cooled off as she drove home, her thoughts meandering down way-back-when lane. She’d fallen in love with Michael Reynolds when she still pronounced her r’s as w’s. He was her brother Garrett’s best friend and she’d worshipped the two of them. After an especially spectacular day of playing pirates, she’d asked her big brother to marry her. He’d gently reminded her they couldn’t get married since they were brother and sister. Naturally, she had to marry Michael instead. At the tender age of four, she’d been too shy to ask him, but she’d vowed to propose to him when she grew up.
It was a good thing she got over her infatuation with him. Otherwise, she would’ve grown ancient waiting for him to realize she was a grown woman when he could think of her only as a “kiddo.” Besides, he had broken her heart when he married someone else during her senior year in high school.
After his divorce, Michael reclaimed his role as the Song family’s only blond member, but things hadn’t been the same between them. When she came home from college, she tried to talk to him and draw him out. But all that got her was a wall of indifference and ever-growing distance.
She understood what she’d felt for him was a childhood crush. A long-term infatuation. The past didn’t matter anymore. All she wanted was her friend and confidant back, but Michael had shut her out so completely they were no better than casual acquaintances. The loss of their friendship hurt more than watching him marry someone who wasn’t her.
Adelaide growled in frustration and leaned hard on the gas, passing a car with less than a foot to spare. The blaring horn brought some sense back into her. The moral of the day was to prove to the world that she wasn’t juvenile. She was off to a bleak start.
If she wanted to be taken seriously, she had to prove to her grandmother that she was born to lead Hansol just like her brother. Garrett was the business mastermind, but Adelaide had the creativity Hansol needed to reach the next level through innovative apparel.
Michael had made a good point tonight before frustrating her out of her mind with the kiddo bullcrap. With her background in fashion design and sociology, and a mint-condition MBA, she could produce a charity event that would have the guests rushing the stage crying, Please, take my money!
Adelaide wanted to dream sparkly dreams, but the ambitious, practical side of her brain refused to shut up. The big picture for the event was there, but it would be useless without the proper execution. She had to create the hype, connect with the big-name donors. She needed someone with a solid reputation and the right connections to help make the night a success.
Her palms grew damp with sweat and she gnawed on her bottom lip. She knew the perfect person for the job. But he was no different from her family and treated her like an overgrown child.
Besides, he didn’t want to be near her. When they spent time together at family gatherings or social functions, he barely acknowledged her. More often than not, he went out of his way to avoid her altogether. No matter what nice brotherly things he’d said earlier tonight, he still thought of her as a lost cause.
A flash of hurt cut a bright red line across her heart. What was so wrong with her? She bit down hard on her lip and tasted blood, hoping the pain would shock her insecurities out of her.
Michael wouldn’t want to be personally involved in her project. But that only meant Adelaide shouldn’t give him a chance to refuse. He was going to help her pull off this event, and she would convince him, her grandmother and the world that she wasn’t a spoiled, good-for-nothing heiress once and for all.
Look for Secret Crush Seduction by Jayci Lee, out September 1, 2020 from Harlequin.
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And we’ll have an extra-long Kissing Books on Thursday, so keep an eye out!