Relapse
in Paradise
by
Roxanne Smith
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE:
Contemporary Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Still
stinging from her recent divorce, Emily Buzzly heads to majestic
Hawaii to soothe her wounds. But once she arrives on Oahu, Emily
discovers that a man she assumes is a beach bum is in fact her
personal tour guide, hired by her sister. With his long hair and
tattoos, Boston Rondibett is everything Emily detests—despite his
sun-kissed surfer body. And with her straight-laced, executive
persona, Emily is everything Boston rebels against. But both have a
lot to learn about making snap judgments…
As
it turns out, Boston’s real job, the one he truly cares about, is
running his soup kitchen and homeless shelter. Embarrassed by her
assumptions, rather than lazy beach days, Emily soon finds herself
feeding the hungry, and even involved in the search for an AWOL
soldier. And to Boston’s surprise, she’s loving every minute of
it—and he’s loving seeing her loosen her chignon and be the
admirable, beautiful woman she is. As each works through the
challenges of the past, these two very different people just might
find their hearts are on the very same page…
Excerpt;
Damn if
it didn’t always come back to Jordan.
Hani,
Thompson, and Akela stared at him. Boston guessed what had them so
distraught. He kept his arms crossed. “You think I’m going to
ruin everything because Jordan had another bad breakup? You can tell
Phillip I appreciate his concern, but I already got Jordan’s
message.”
Hani’s
stare went from anxious to animal. He pointed a fat finger in
Boston’s face and pitched his voice low. “You don’t get to act
like it ain’t happened before. I’ve got every right to worry. We
all do, because it ain’t just you, man. We’re tied to you like a
damn fishing line. If you get yanked out of the water, we all fry.”
Akela
put a hand over her brother’s arm. “Boston, she’s coming. It’s
what she does. And if it were Jordan alone, we wouldn’t worry. But
she has a way of—”
“Dunking
your ass in a bottle. Let’s be straight.” Hani was never one to
mince words.
Boston
nodded and considered his friends. “You’re right. So, I won’t
drink. Problem solved.”
Doubt
clouded their faces like a spring storm.
Their
reactions incensed him even as he understood them. “Guys, I’ve
been sober for two years. I don’t even think about it anymore.
That’s not lip service, Hani. You’d know if I’d been pining
away for a drink this whole time.”
Hani
tilted his head back and chewed his lip. “Maybe. But last time
Jordan came sniffing around, you were sober and had a girlfriend.
What’s different this time?”
“Last
time I’d gone from homeless panhandler to business owner in the
space of a few months and was seeing a woman for the first time since
divorcing Jordan. Jordan spilled the beans about my past and
convinced me this place would fail. It didn’t take a whole lot to
talk me into a few shots of Jack, I admit it. But like I said—”
“Two
years. I hear you, man.” The pity in Hani’s plaintive gaze got to
Boston worse than any amount of anger. “But this is Jordan we’re
talking about. She is your addiction.”
Boston
shook his head and stepped back. Their lack of faith filled his mouth
with the sour taste of the past. Like his parents saying he’d
stayed in Honolulu after achieving sobriety was an excuse to fail, an
excuse to stay within reach of the lifestyle, keep the toxic
influence near at hand. In case. Like keeping a six pack in the
fridge.
They’d
been wrong. Like Hani was now. “I busted my ass for this life. I
saved every penny I begged for and gave every last cent for this
place. Since we opened, I’ve slipped up once. I let Jordan sabotage
a frail relationship and used it as an easy excuse to indulge. She
led me like a puppy on a string. How can you believe I’d let her do
it again?” His arms fell to his sides, and he looked at each one of
them in turn. “How can you have so little faith in me, guys? I work
harder than anyone to keep us going. Hell, I’ve lied to my client.”
A few
heads turned, and Boston remembered they weren’t alone.
He
lowered his voice. “I turned into a common thief to help someone
who needed it. I’ve taken every advantage of my situation, risked
the very income that allows us to operate to help one guy. You’re
right, though, Hani. If I go down, you’re going with me.”
“Like
a damn ship.”
“Well,
a storm’s coming. Batten down the hatches, splice the main brace!”
He chuckled with more humor than the joke warranted. “Unfortunately,
it’s too late to decide whether or not you trust the captain. But,
hey, thanks for having my back. It means the damn world.”
Hani
closed the distance between them with a dangerous gleam in his dark
eyes. “I will always have your back. You did this and that, but you
ain’t done a damn thing alone. You remember that. When Jordan wipes
the floor with you because your pride won’t let us help, I’ll
have my mop bucket ready, brother.”
Boston’s
edged reply died in his throat.
Threatening,
towering Hani and his promise to be there for Boston no matter what…
What the hell could he say to such infuriating loyalty? There was
beauty in knowing he could say anything and be forgiven. Maybe not
trusted, but at least forgiven.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
A
Florida native, Roxanne Smith has called everywhere from Houston to
Cheyenne home. Currently residing in Asheville, NC, she's an avid
reader of every genre, a cat lover, pit bull advocate, and semi-geek.
She loves video games, Doctor Who, and her dashing husband. Her two
kids are the light of her life.
Website:
www.roxannesmith.net
Twitter
handle: thissmithrox
Buy
Links:
B &
N:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/relapse-in-paradise-roxanne-smith/1121228431?ean=9781616506919
Google
Play:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Roxanne_Smith_Relapse_In_Paradise?id=Q1mwBgAAQBAJ
http://smithrox.blogspot.com/2015/11/reader-appreciation-giveaway.html
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How did you get started writing? Is it as fulfilling as you had hoped?
ReplyDeleteI started when I was little, writing stories. It was my mom's idea to write a real one much later in my life. I went for it. It's definitely fulfilling, and very rewarding. Worth the work that goes in!
DeleteCongrats on the new book and good luck on the book tour! I really enjoyed reading the excerpt and learning about this book. This book sounds very interesting! Also, I really like the book cover! Looking forward to checking this book out!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I love these covers too! The first book in the series, MEN LIKE THIS, also has a stellar cover, with a cityscape of London.
DeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting!
ReplyDeleteDo you ever write paranormal romance, or historical?
ReplyDeleteI haven't yet, since this is my first series. But I think I'd lean toward paranormal if I did either. Great question!
DeleteThank you for informing me about this book
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed learning about the book. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteWhere does she get her ideas?
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book. Thank you for the chance!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new book and good luck on the tour.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Rote