THE SWEETEST CHASE
Heart of the Storm #2
Sharla Lovelace
Releasing Feb 23rd, 2016
Montlake
Rating: 4 Stars
Disclosure of
Material Connection: I received this book
for review from Tasty Book Tours, the publisher, and the author. I was not compensated nor was I required to
write a positive review. The opinions I
have expressed are my own. I am posting
this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of
Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising".
Photographer Quinn Parker is getting married in a month, and she’s almost happy about it. Even though her mother is planning the whole wedding. Even though she’s secretly had the hots for Simon Chase forever. But he’s her best friend’s brother and her coworker . . .off-limits even if she were single. So she’s marrying the man who should be her perfect match—and that’s that.
Simon Chase’s life revolves around his family’s storm-chasing business. The meteorologist of the bunch, he’d
rather be out in the weather than reporting it—especially if Quinn Parker is along to photograph the run. He’s been hiding his crush on her for a long time, and it’s only intensified. But she’s marrying someone else—and that’s that.
rather be out in the weather than reporting it—especially if Quinn Parker is along to photograph the run. He’s been hiding his crush on her for a long time, and it’s only intensified. But she’s marrying someone else—and that’s that.
Or is it? When a Chase family wedding sets the stage for body temperatures to rise and the pressure of Quinn’s impending wedding to build, a new reality breaks. Quinn and Simon discover their unrequited affections have been mutual all along. When the gathering storm of their attraction finally reaches its peak, will it leave their lives in shambles? Or will they find shelter in each other?
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Quinn entered the
bathroom and locked the door behind her before her knees could give way.
“Shit,” she
whispered, resting her back against the door and looking skyward. She didn’t
know whether to laugh at the lunacy of it or cry over the irony. “Shit, shit,
shit!”
What the living
hell had that been out there? The second—the very second Simon had walked
through that door looking like friggin’ James Bond, everything had turned.
Quinn had felt it. In that second, she belonged to him. What the living
hell? She couldn’t belong to him!
But his eyes had
locked in on hers with . . . that look—God help her, that look—and
she couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to. It was like everyone else disappeared
and it was just the two of them. Every inch of being naked under that dress had
raised hands and waved. She’d half expected her ovaries to fall out on the
floor and beg. And then—
Quinn pried herself
off the door and met her own eyes in the mirror.
Since when does
Simon Chase not have something to say?
When he’s looking
at you.
“God, Mary, Jesus,
and Joseph,” Quinn muttered, trying to channel Miss Lou instead of the string
of curses dancing in her head. “Or something to that effect.”
He’s always had the
hots for you.
“Why?” Quinn asked
the mirror. “Why now? Why do I find this out now?”
She turned the cold
water on full blast and placed her wrists under it. She needed to cool down,
cool her blood, cool her jets, cool her hormones, whatever the hell it was that
was raging through her like a bullet. It was Hannah’s words, that’s what it
was. Quinn would have still been tweaked by Simon’s actions, by his words, by
his unbelievably sexy appearance, but it was Hannah’s innocent little admission
that wrapped itself around all of those things and liquefied. Oozing like hot
honey into all the cracks, bringing everything to a heightened awareness.
She looked at
herself again, cheeks flushed, chest flushed, eyes shiny like she was coming
off a bender.
“It doesn’t matter.
You can’t do this,” she said to her reflection, turning off the water and
resting her weight on the sink. “You can’t—” She bit her bottom lip as
something that felt less like silly attraction and more like the gavel of hell
came crashing through her body. Looking up at the light fixture, she blinked
back what she refused to let come. “You’re being ridiculous,” she whispered.
“Stop this.”
Eric was going to
be there any minute, and where was she? Locked in the bathroom acting like a
hormonal twit over another man. Another man who was here with another woman.
Yeah, explain that one.
His date. Simon
never brought a date to anything—not that there were usually things to bring
dates to. They didn’t really talk about that part of their lives much, so maybe
he did go out with women. Maybe he had relationships she didn’t even know
about. Oh, shit, what was she thinking—Simon Chase was a hot eligible single
man, with a fiery wit and eyes that could melt the pants right off a woman. Of
course he dated. And probably most of them looked like her.
Quinn inhaled
deeply and let it go slowly, willing her heart to slow down. Drying her hands
on the hanging towel, she continued to take slow breaths as she dabbed at her
eyes and face.
It was fine. It had
to be fine. No more crazy, regardless of how damn good Simon looked. He wasn’t
hers to feel this way about. Meeting her own gaze in the mirror again, she let
those words sink in.
He’s not yours.
“He’s not yours.”
Simon
Chase is part of a storm-chasing family.
Quinn Parker knows how to make an entrance to a party. This just may be the book that will have you
saying that you’ve never read anything like this before.
The
reader gets the impression that this should be a happy time for Quinn but
something just doesn’t feel right. Simon
is a man who cares about people but his hands are tied in what he can do. He also shows how much we rely on money in
our day-to-day lives.
You’ve
got to love how the author treated her characters. They are very believable. Our author also didn’t take the easy route
with creating her main characters. Just
like our lives are complicated, so are theirs.
If you’re not sure what storm-chasing is all about, check into the
Weather Channel – good inspiration.
Maybe you’re into movies? Why not
check out Twister with Helen Hunt and
Bill Paxton. Maybe you’re into reality
TV, the author has included that into her storyline. Of course with all the crazy weather going on
around the country that may be the only inspiration you need.
Usually
any indecision is the man’s but the twist here is that it’s Quinn who’s having
second thoughts. She’ll have you questioning
her choices and what she’s doing. And
amongst their story is a wedding. You
might think that the author has a lot going on but each scene moves from one to
the next seamlessly.
I
didn’t find that in order to enjoy this story I needed to have read Loving the Chase. But there are characters that do make
appearances here so if you want to know more about the characters of this
series, at some point you may want to go back and read the book you
missed. The author also has a sweet
treat for the reader at the end of this story.
And the ending before the recipe will leave you smiling.
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Sharla Lovelace is a bestselling, award-winning author of sexy small-town love stories. A proud Texas girl through and through, she lives in southeast Texas with her retired husband, a tricked-out golf cart, and two rambunctious dogs. Author of five stand-alone novels and the Heart of the Storm series, she loves connecting with readers; find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, or subscribe to her newsletter at www.sharlalovelace.com to keep up with new releases.
Don't Miss LOVING THE CHASE, book one in the Heart of the Storm Series
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