Their Second Chance
By April Angel
Blurb:
After five years with a man she loved, Ariana Parker held the divorce papers in hand. From the moment she met him, Nick was the only man to make her body burn and fill her heart with joy, but somewhere along the way, they lost their ability to communicate--in any language.
Nick Parker lost the woman he loved to the trials of conception. Their inability to cope with their failure broke down their relationship and their friendship. And now, he's left with a woman he lusts after, longs for, and doesn't know how to reach.
One locked door and plenty of time to hash out their problems will either leave them broken forever or might just be the glue that holds them together.
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Excerpt:
Ariana Parker lifted her gaze from the steering wheel. She stared at the
clean, dark-gray lines of the ultra-modern office building in front of her. She
swallowed down the acid burning the back of her throat and hoped she wouldn’t
get sick.
A
wild churning, which started the moment she opened her eyes that morning, grew
in intensity when she thought of what she was there for: to sign the divorce
papers. She gathered every scrap of courage she could muster, which wasn’t much
at this point, and tried to calm her nerves.
Another
wave of anxiety rushed through her. It would take so little for her to crumble.
The knot in her throat grew bigger. She wanted to scream and cry and curse the
world for her misery. When her lawyer’s assistant called her, she’d had the
crazy hope that Nick might have changed his mind. That wasn’t the case.
Instead, she had calmly informed Ari that everything was ready for their
signatures.
After
shutting off the engine, she had to mentally prepare herself to see the only
man she’d ever loved. And the only man it hurt to have lost. So many years
together. All gone. Her heart squeezed hard in her chest. Pain was a constant
for her now. So much a part of her life since they’d separated that she had
almost forgotten what it was like to be happy.
Cool
evening air caressed her bare arms when she slid out of her navy Chevy. The car
was Nick’s gift to her on their last anniversary, and the only thing she had
left of their life together. Piercing anger stabbed at her chest, making her
wince. They’d lasted seven years together. Five of those years married. Five
amazing years.
Until
it all went to hell.
She’d
never understand how they went from best friends to strangers in the course of
a year. Her mind fought against the idea that they’d been ill-suited to begin
with. That he wasn’t the right man for her. Or that she wasn’t the right woman
for him.
Nick’s
pick-up was already parked in front of the entrance. She gulped at the dryness
in her throat, rubbed her palms on the sides of her sundress, and hoped she
didn’t make a spectacle of herself.
The
closer she moved to the building, the harder it became to breathe. Sorrow,
rage, and a mixture of desolation mingled to create a large void inside her.
This was the last straw. She’d not only lost her husband, but she’d lost her
best friend. She thought of what lay ahead and chastised herself for losing her
cool. Damn it all to hell! It was hard to concede defeat when Nick had been her
first and only love. As much as it hurt to admit it, she’d been the one to ask
for the divorce, and he hadn’t fought it. He hadn’t argued or complained. All
he’d done was say if that was what she wanted he was fine with it.
White-hot
anger rose within her. Like giant cresting waves of heat, she felt it spread
inside. She let it expand until she was fuming from his lack of concern for
her. Clearly, divorce was the best option for them. It was overdue. Putting off
the inevitable would only add more years of torture for them both. And though
they had been estranged for almost two years, she didn’t wish Nick any harm.
Time to finish this.
She
yanked the lobby door open and freezing air slid over her, cooling some of the
sizzle on her skin. She glanced around. Small, black sofas sat to one side
while a large, glass receptionist desk was placed by the hallway that led to
the partner offices and conference rooms. Her gaze clashed with Nick’s. For a
second, her heart tripped. The emotions hidden deep in her heart—the ones she’d been fighting to ignore
all day—rose to the surface. Love. Desire.
Need. And pain.
She
watched him stand as soon as he saw her. Her gaze roamed his body, remembering
the feel of each line under her fingers. A blue T-shirt hugged his muscular
torso, muscles he’d gained from working long hours at his construction company.
She gulped, tamping down the instant flare of arousal. Figured her body would
betray her. Disgust at herself flourished just as quickly as her pulse
quickened. How could their bodies be so attuned but their minds be in such
disarray? Faded denim encased his legs, and the black work-boots she was all
too familiar with covered his feet.
A bright blaze ignited from the quick glance at the man
she’d once known so well. Chemistry had never been a problem for them. She
licked her lips. Her gaze slowly worked its way back up his body, this time
taking in the sleeve tattoos covering his arms in intricate and beautiful
designs. She continued up until her gaze met his blue eyes.
My Mini Review:
I really enjoyed this sweet yet sexy romance. The story of Nick and Ari was so emotional. This is a married couple who loved each other so much but when they stopped communicating, they find themselves separated and now divorcing. This is a great story of a couple who try to find a way to let go of the past and just love each other as well as forgive one another for the mistakes made. It is sweet and tender. Grab some tissues and start reading this beautifully written book.
******************
When Sue asked me to give my Top 5 Favorite Books, I knew
I’d shock you all. There might be a romance in here, but I am a true fan of
suspense.
1.
The Red Dragon – Thomas Harris
This book is on a level by itself. The way
it hooks you from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the end is astounding.
I am a huge fan of Thomas Harris. You may know him best for his books being
turned into movie (Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, etc). The man is a genius. I
once read an interview where he said he would go to a cabin to write and
Hannibal would talk to him all day long.
2.
Honour’s Splendor – Julie Garwood
I ADORED Lady Madelyne. She’s a heroine
that doesn’t realize just how tough she really is. I loved her so much. She’s
sweet and means well. We get this huge man who should be intimidating and who
doesn’t really want a bride, but finds he doesn’t want to get rid of her
either. Feelings are not easy for either.
The story is sweet and can make anyone smile.
3.
Bound by Blood – Cynthia Eden
Cynthia rocked this combination of vampire
and shifter falling in love. While short, the entire story packed a punch. I
absolutely hold it as one of my favorites.
4.
Reaper (End of Days) – Mina Carter
Having read most, if not all, of Mina
Carter’s work, I can say that this is still one of my all time favorites. The
world-building was phenomenal and the characters unlike any others. Gripping,
interesting and kept you on your toes. Will definitely stay in my favorites.
5.
Devil’s
Bride – Stephanie Laurens
I think her entire Cynster series is
wonderful and refreshing. I love that they’re historicals but the women are
strong and the men are sexy as hell. I’m a huge fan of sassy women and
Stephanie did a great job of writing sass with Honoria Cynster, the first in
the long line of women who tamed the hottest men in the Ton.
******************
AUTHOR BIO:
Hi! I'm Milly
(AKA April Angel) I love to write sexy stories. They're usually either
paranormal or contemporary with a large dose of heat. My paranormal stories can
be anything from wolf-shifters (my favorites) to witches, demons and anything
in between. My contemporaries are usually anything from soldiers to corporate
romances.
I was born the prettiest part of the Caribbean known as the
Dominican Republic. Currently, I live in New York City with my hubby, the bossy
kiddo and our little dog "Needy Speedy". Don't ask.
When I'm not working some really long hours at the day job, or
hanging out in the awful life-sucking invention known as Facebook, messaging my
bestie in the UK or shopping with my sis Julie, then I can be found watching
scary movies. Buuut when I'm not doing that, I'm usually writing because the
voices won't shut up.
I am addicted to shoe shopping, chocolate (but who isn't, right?)
and Dunkin' Donuts coffee.
Come on over and visit me! I love to meet new readers!
I
hope you enjoyed this book. If you did, please consider writing a review
Like my books? Want to
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Find out more about Milly Taiden here:
Email: millytaiden@gmail.com
There is a tour-wide giveaway of the following:
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Thanks for hosting April today.
ReplyDeleteShannon
Author's Taproom,
This is the first time I ever heard (read) anybody admit they read the early Julie Garwood books~ they always seemed such a guilty secret! I have a bunch of her old paperbacks in a box in my storage lol. And I loved the Cynsters~ Vane was my favorite but Devil was a really close second. I'll be checking out Mina Carter on Amazon in just a minute :) Thanks for a great interview!
ReplyDeleteilookfamous at yahoo dot com