During the day, Megan surrounds herself with water lilies and goldfish in the ponds she creates. At night, memories of her lying ex-boyfriend are a reminder she can never again trust a man.
Jason embraces his career as paramedic firefighter, even though ugly experience declares his profession a greedy mistress. During quiet nights at the station, he wonders if this bachelor existence is all he’ll ever know.
Then Jason meets Megan and sparks fly, chased by flashes of anger when Jason, battling a raging apartment fire, stands up Megan on their first date. Is St. Valentine powerful enough to bring these two strong-willed people together?Excerpt:
Jason reaches over the table and takes my hand in his.
Much as I try scrubbing at the dirt, my nails are almost
never 100% clean, and I’ve got a long scratch across my knuckles. And anyhow,
in the middle of a
work
day, that’s part of who I am.
He turns my hand palm up and runs his finger across the
calluses.
My heart skitters a beat at the feel of his hands cradling
mine. His touch exudes caring. Imagining him tending a person in distress is
easy.
Need I say it? I like the feel of him touching me. The world
is charmingly in order right here, right now. But what is he doing? “Is
something wrong with my hand?”
“Every time I see you, you’re in the water. And you’re the
odd duck. I was just seeing”—he turns his head to examine my palm, his carved
cheeks in
profile—“if
there’s a web between your fingers…”
Bemusement laces his tone. “Like a Labrador retriever?” I retort,
stifling the urge to flex my fingers; I don’t want him to let my hand go.
He laughs and releases my hand. “My favorite animal. But a
dog? No. That’s not what you bring to mind.”
His grin is so open, so easy, I decide to divulge something
I’ve never told anyone. “I did wish for scales when I was younger. I thought it
would be cool to be a mermaid.” He takes me in for a beat, his gaze deep.
“I can see that.”
His voice is low and velvety. I draw in a ragged breath.
MY TAKE:
Totally sweet, totally cute, this small town romance set in sunny Southern California was such a treat to read! Beverly Breton does a masterful job of creating unforgettable characters with just a few strokes of the pen.
Jason is a full-time firefighter, six foot tall and sizzling hot. Megan owns a local nursery, spending her days playing in mud and creates water gardens. The cute meet involves some fun innuendos about hoses, but I have to admit I loved the interactions between the main characters as they rang so fresh and true.
Ms. Breton, you have a new fan! 5 candy hearts for this sweet, sweet romance.
About the Author:
Beverly Breton is an eternal fan of the happy ending, and a
sucker for any book that grabs the reader through characterization and emotion.
A career non-fiction writer and editor, Beverly has written articles and
personal essays for newspapers and magazines across the country, and has taught
college writing at the undergraduate and graduate level. She now writes
romantic short stories, and has garnered such awards as Night Owl Reviews Top
Pick and You Gotta Read Reviews highest rating You Gotta ReadFive Stars. She is
also a professional floral designer, and her garden nursery experience and love
of plants is fondly woven into her latest short story I’m Sure featuring a pond garden designer and the emergency
responder who falls for this fiery-haired near-mermaid when he discovers her up
to her thighs in water one February morning.
www.beverlybreton.com
No comments:
Post a Comment
Go ahead - leave a comment! You know you want to! But don't be Anonymous - that'll just get you deleted. And who wants that?