This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Cheri will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner and a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to another randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post.
If only life had a refresh button…
Kate Mitchell never planned to be a 31 year-old widowed single mom, but when her soon-to-be-EX husband up and dies, her dreams of finishing college and starting over are thrown in the air like a game of 52 pick-up. When she’s given a leave of absence from work and told to “quit or recommit,” Kate retreats to idyllic Sugar Falls, New Hampshire, to figure out whether she can discover her passion and pay the bills. Cue the fresh air, summer sunshine and one sexy local contractor.
Tall, dark, and handy…
Volunteer fireman and all-around hunky guy in a toolbelt, Jim Pearson has sworn off complicated women with messy baggage. They cling to his nice-guy stability and skills with a power saw just long enough to straighten out their lives and move on… but then he meets the cute single mom staying at Grams’ lake house for the summer.
While a sizzling attraction draws them together, Jim’s distrust of complicated women and Kate’s incredibly complicated life threaten to pull them apart. But forces beyond their control–match-making grandmothers, the lazy backdrop of summer, and their own reckoning with the past–conspire to make them risk it all… and bet on love.
Now enjoy and excerpt:
“I don’t mind you standing there,” he added as he pushed aside the curtain and stepped from the tub, scrubbing his hair with the towel. “But you are somewhat to blame for this.”
“I am?” she squeaked. Heavens, he was good-looking all wet and frumpled. His water-soaked T-shirt was plastered to his chest. Kate’s tongue became the Sahara.
“Mmm hmm,” he nodded. Now he was finger-combing his hair, a crooked grin making his face boyishly appealing as he dropped the towel on his toolbox. “I was thinking about you, you see—”
“You were?” Kate backed up against the sink, the small bathroom feeling suddenly much smaller. Dangerously small. As small as the pocket in her lungs still capable of holding air. “What were you thinking?”
He paused, his eyes dancing. “I’m thinking I ought to keep that to myself.”
“Why?”
“I don’t think we know each other well enough for me to tell you that.”
Suddenly the flannel of her robe felt very hot on her skin. Kate sucked air through her nose and stared at his lips, that crooked smile teasing her, beckoning her.
“I want to know,” she said, her voice barely a whisper…
Cheri Allan lives in a charming fixer-upper in rural New Hampshire with her husband, two children, one dog, four cats and an excessive amount of optimism. She’s a firm believer in do-it-yourself, new beginnings and happily-ever-afters, so after years of wearing suits, she’s grateful to finally put her English degree to good use writing romance. When not writing, you might find her whizzing down the slopes of a nearby mountain or inadvertently killing perennials in her garden.
Cheri loves to hear from readers! E-mail her at cheri@cheriallan.com, friend her at facebook.com/cheriallanauthor, or visit her website and blog at www.cheriallan.com. Luck of the Draw, Book 1 in the ‘Betting on Romance’ series is available now from Amazon and Smashwords.
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448863
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheri-Allan-Books/143131549193624
Enter to win a $25 Amazon or BN GC or other prizes! A Rafflecopter Giveaway
ladymagnolia99 said:
I really enjoyed the excerpt. This really looks like a real good read.
Judy Cox
Cheri said:
So glad you enjoyed it, Judy! You can preview the opening chapters over at http://www.cheriallan.com. Good luck in the giveaway!
jmesparza821 said:
I liked the excerpt. I have added the book to my book wish list.
jmesparza821 at gmail dot com
Cheri said:
Thanks for stopping in and good luck in the giveaway!
Larissa Brunken said:
I enjoyed the excerpt. I’m 34 myself and am pretty much a single mom so I can relate to the character. I’m not one for romance novels, but must admit this sounds catchy. Thanks for a chance.
Cheri said:
Thanks for stopping by, Larissa. I’m glad you enjoyed the excerpt. You can preview the opening chapters at http://www.cheriallan.com–you never know. You might be a romance reader after all. (But we won’t tell!) Good luck in the giveaway!
Lori H said:
Looks and sounds like another great read 🙂
I enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for sharing.
Cheri said:
You’re welcome, Lori! If you’re on Goodreads, you can add it to your to-read shelf. Or pop over to http://www.cheriallan.com and sample the opening chapters! Good luck!
Daisy R said:
Sounds like a great read! Loved the excerpt! 🙂
Cheri said:
Thanks, Daisy! Glad you enjoyed it. I hope you’ll try it! And good luck in the giveaway! 🙂
Sandy said:
Great excerpt and thanks for the giveaway
Cheri said:
Thanks, Sandy! I hope you’ll check it out. Thanks for stopping by and good luck!
Goddess Fish Promotions said:
Thanks for hosting!
sarahballance said:
Always a pleasure! 🙂
kp said:
loved the excerpt!
Cheri said:
Thanks for stopping by and good luck in the giveaway!
Pingback: My Thinking Spots (Or how I write by staring at yesterday’s leftovers) | Cheri Allan
krsz said:
The excerpt
Cheri said:
Thanks for stopping in and good luck!
Cheri said:
Thank you, Sarah, for hosting today and giving me a chance to share the fun of launch day for LUCK OF THE DRAW!
sarahballance said:
Thanks for being here, Cheri, and for coming over to chat with readers!
booksaver said:
I really enjoyed the excerpt and have added it to my wish list.
Cheri said:
So glad you enjoyed it! The shower scene is one of my personal favorites. 😉 Pop over to http://www.cheriallan.com if you’d like to preview the opening chapters, and good luck in the giveaway!
Tonette Joyce said:
Oh IF life only had a reset button! And life is often thrown like a gave of 52 Pick-up! Best of luck to you, Cheri!
Cheri said:
I’ve often longed for a reset button, especially when I dribble coffee town my front. 😉 If you’d like to sample the opening chapters of LUCK OF THE DRAW you can find them at http://www.cheriallan.com. Early reviews are already popping up on Amazon and Goodreads as well. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, and good luck in the giveaway!
Melinda Dartmann said:
I loved reading the authors bio. Inadvertently killing perennials in her garden LOL sounds way too much like me!
Cheri said:
Oh, dear. I’m sorry to hear that, Melinda! I’ll admit to looking for the words “hardy,” “invasive,” and “ground cover” when shopping for plants, because I figure that way I’ll end up with something that will take over without needing to be mowed. 😉 Thankfully, Kate, my heroine in LUCK OF THE DRAW is a much better gardener than I am. I hope you’ll pop over to preview the opening chapters at http://www.cheriallan.com. Thanks so much for stopping by, and good luck in the giveaway!
marnie ward said:
The title of course, Luck of the Draw. I am into it for the title alone. I like very much. That’s what I liked most about the post, the name of the book.
Cheri said:
So glad you liked it, Marnie! For the longest time, the working title had been “One Good Man.” (I know. Yawn!) But then when I realized it was going to become the first in the ‘Betting on Romance’ series, the new titles came to me all at once. Book #2 (coming this fall) is STACKING THE DECK. I hope you’ll give the books a try, and thanks for stopping in! Good luck!