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Dec
2 2007 | ||
I got my author copies so wheee! This one comes out December 11 and it’s a holiday themed red hot. Wanna win an ARC? Easy enough – just reply to me with your favorite type of romance set up – this one is friends to lovers with that hot guy crush you’ve had since you were twelve for instance. I’ll choose a winner at random on Tuesday the 4th at noon pacific!
Blurb:
Since she could pick up a pencil, Belle Taylor has used lists and charts to map out her life. When she achieves a goal, she marks it off her to do list. Simple. But now, just steps away from her corner-office, name-on-the-letterhead goal, she realizes that the life she thought she wanted may come at too high a price.
Exhausted, she retreats home for Christmas vacation to rethink her life, complete with all-new lists. What she hadn’t expected is Rafe Bettencourt, her brother’s best friend, the man who she thought only saw her as a pesky younger sister. But when he kisses her under the mistletoe, Belle finds herself with a whole new set of goals to balance with what she thought she always wanted.
Rafe knows Belle is trying to figure out what to do with her life. He also knows he’s done loving her from afar, and he’s not beneath making it as hard as possible for her to choose to return to San Francisco.
Because Rafe can make to-do lists too—and his plan is to seduce Belle back home where she belongs. At his side. And in his bed.
TO DO LIST BY LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2007, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, Samhain Publishing
Releasing December 11~
He heard her muttering and tapped on her door. When she opened it, she stood there tousled and holding a legal pad and three different colored pens.
“Hi.”
“Hi there. You want to come in?” She stood back and he took the bottle of tequila and the shot glasses in with him.
“You look stressed. I say we do a few shots, make out a lot, you let me get to, oh say third base and we call it a night.”
Her brow furrowed and the cutest little line etched between her eyes. “Really?”
“Belle Taylor, I know you’re not offended. You get a totally different look on your face when you’re offended. Why are you confused?” He put the bottle and glasses down before tossing himself on the bed.
She put the pad on the desk on the far side of the room and lined her pens up, horizontally, one by one, in a neat and orderly row. Then she exhaled and pursed the lips he knew tasted like heaven.
“I’m confused because you’ve always treated me like Brian’s pesky little sister and tonight out of the blue you kiss me and then tease me and talk about sex and show up in my room and suggest third base!”
“I did indeed. I’d suggest more but I want to drag that out. At least for another day or so.” He laughed, loving the way she snorted at him.
“I could use a drink. Move over. Jeez, you’re a bed hog.” She smoothed out the blankets before she sat. “What? No salt or lime?”
“If I had it, you could lick it off my belly.” Wait, that wasn’t a tease, that sounded just fine to him as a matter of fact.
“Well do you?” One of her regal eyebrows slid upward and her mouth struggled against a smile.
He sat up and filled both glasses with the tawny liquid. “Go on, you first. God knows you look like you could use it.” He could too after her little tease.
She took the glass and drained it, her eyes watering a bit as she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand very characteristically.
“Belle Taylor, did you just wipe tequila off your mouth with the back of your hand like, oh I don’t know, like me?” He laughed before doing the same thing and refilling their glasses.
“When does the kissing start?” Her eyes widened and she quickly drained the next shot. “Crap, I can’t even blame that on the alcohol yet.”
“You want another?”
“Why not?”
December 2nd, 2007 at 9:52 am · Link
My favorite setup…Opposites attracting (such as someone who should be your enemy according to what others tell you but you can’t view them that way and so the two main characters become lovers and unite to fight a cause)
December 2nd, 2007 at 10:12 am · Link
Oh this looks great, Lauren!!! Fabulous excerpt 😛
December 2nd, 2007 at 10:18 am · Link
Lauren.
I love love love it. ANd can’t wait to read it. I like reconnects like you know. love that ends….and then comes back 10 years later.
Good Luck hun
~~heather
December 2nd, 2007 at 11:38 am · Link
I do love the friends to lovers theme. The 2 Chase books I like best – Kyle & Maggie and Matt & Tate – both had that theme. It’s gotta be done just right, though, in order to make it believable.
I also love the opposites attract, because it\’s such a great breeding ground for conflict and humor.
Can’t wait to read this one, Lauren. Congrats! Oh, and I’m finally getting my new ebook reader! Yay! I’ve been in serious torture since mine kicked it.
December 2nd, 2007 at 11:59 am · Link
favorite romance set up. would be soft music my hubby, no kids! candles, and a entire night we can be alone to “play” having two special needs kids those moments come few and far between! but just hearing my hubbys vioce is a romantic set up in itself
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:19 pm · Link
Sa-weet! The excerpt rocked! You’re leaving me wanting more, Lauren. Wheeee!
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:23 pm · Link
That sounds wonderful! Can’t wait to read it. I love a good Christmas story.
Favorite themes? I like friends to lovers and I’ve always been a fan of the hot boss. Though in real life I never had a hot boss. What a shame…
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:41 pm · Link
I like suspense stories where the hero and heroine meet before, during or after an event or crime. They’re thrown together by circumstances.
December 2nd, 2007 at 1:10 pm · Link
I like the friends to lovers, and the best friend to your brother set up, those are both fun. Plus the sexual tension from that first impression of animosity that gives way to passion gives us fun dialogue and great sparkage.
December 2nd, 2007 at 2:30 pm · Link
i love the friends to lovers set up especially since my first bf was one of my best friends first lol
December 2nd, 2007 at 2:59 pm · Link
My favorite setups are when either the hero or heroine in the story has some dark secret that you don’t find out about until the end. By the way I love reading ARC’S!
December 2nd, 2007 at 3:13 pm · Link
Hmm, I’ve always been a fan of the older brother’s friend set up myself!
Great excerpt too btw, I consider myself teased to the nth degree, lol!!
December 2nd, 2007 at 9:29 pm · Link
Congrats on the new book! Looks good. I love when old lovers get thrown back together & fall for each other all over again.
December 2nd, 2007 at 10:32 pm · Link
I love the “lifelong crush” set up myself. Who doesn’t love the idea of the hunk who’s pursuing you turning out to be the geek from 3rd period history class who’s loved you for years?
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:03 am · Link
I love all kinds of setups. One of my favorites is the long term crush that one character has on the other that comes to fruition through whatever circumstance that the author presents.
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:31 am · Link
This book sounds great. I love the friends to lovers setup. I also like the loving your older brother’s best friend setup.
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:47 am · Link
blind date setup is good by a friend, the excitment in all of it.
December 3rd, 2007 at 4:50 pm · Link
I love the friends to lovers stories. This one sounds good.
December 3rd, 2007 at 5:55 pm · Link
I really like the friends to lovers stories.