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Thursday, February 25, 2016

Tasty Book Tours Presents: Sweetest Chase by Sharla Lovelace; #VirtualTour, #Excerpt, #Giveaway, & #Review


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.

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.”





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.




Enter to Win a  Print Copy of THE SWEETEST CHASE





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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1 comment:

  1. Thank you for hosting THE SWEETEST CHASE today!

    Crystal, Tasty Book Tours

    ReplyDelete

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