Title: All Roads Lead to Shepherd Grove
Author: Dania Voss
Genre: Romance (sweet, small town second chance romance)
Book Blurb:
Who says you can’t find your soulmate when you’re five-years-old? Melissa “Missy” Green and Noah “Shep” Shepherd’s fates were sealed as childhood sweethearts one fateful day on the playground when they were just kids. When she’s forced to leave Shepherd Grove, Texas by Noah’s spiteful, wealthy parents after high school, Missy’s world is shattered. Leaving Texas, her family, and Noah behind, she shoves her heartbreak aside and creates a successful life for herself in Boston. After ten years, Missy returns to attend her sister’s baby shower. The attraction between her and Shep is undeniable, but she's torn. Is she open to a second chance at love or are the wounds of the past too deep to ignore? Please note: All Roads Lead to Shepherd Grove is a small town, second chance romance short story, on the sweet side – about 10,000 words.
Excerpt:
She caught up with old friends and met new residents. It did her heart a world of good considering the circumstances in which she had left. Maybe these few days in town would be just what she needed, even though at some point things would become contentious when she’d face off with Noah and his parents. For now, focus on Daisy and the baby shower.
Melissa stood, facing away from the diner’s entrance, but she sensed the moment Noah walked in. Around her, the good-natured chatter died down. Her traitorous body heated, and her heart fluttered.
She turned slowly to face Noah Shepherd. The man she’d been forced to give up ten years ago to protect her family. The years had transformed the good-looking boy into the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Thick blond hair and a chiseled jawline with a dusting of stubble. A wide muscular chest in a button-down shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes and slim hips in snug jeans was enough to make any woman’s mouth water.
When Noah made slow work of appraising her, it didn’t bother her like it had with Todd. She knew she looked pretty. His eyes widened when his gaze landed on her navy-blue plaid shirt. So, he recognized that she was wearing his shirt.
****
Shep stepped into Pearl’s diner, both excited and nervous after receiving a text from Mattie. Missy had arrived and it was time for him to make his move. Here goes nothing.
The diner was abuzz with activity. It seemed he wasn’t the only one happy to see her. That didn’t surprise him. Other than by his parents, the Green family was well liked in Shepherd Grove.
He spotted Missy right away, even though her back was facing him. Her shiny blonde tresses, curves that were to die for, and that angelic laugh. The diner became noticeably less chaotic, and then she turned toward him.
When their eyes met, his heart galloped in his chest so fast he thought it would burst. He felt a sense of masculine pride when her pretty cheeks stained pink. He looked his fill of the beautiful woman she’d become. But it was never her stunning appearance he cared about, it was her intelligence and giving heart he valued most. Whoa! Is she wearing my shirt?
“Come on over, Shep,” Mattie shouted over the diner’s dull roar.
“Afternoon, Mayor,” a resident said.
“Hey, Shep,” another resident welcomed him.
Shep greeted friends and residents as he made his way to Mattie and Daisy’s table where Missy and her friends were gabbing. It appeared her homecoming was off to a good start. He hoped his plans for supper didn’t ruin it.
Not normally nervous in front of a crowd, Shep found himself at a loss for words for the first time in his life. With the entire diner looking on, he was tongue-tied as he faced Missy after ten years.
“Harvard.” Shep waited on pins and needles for her response, and so did everyone else.
Missy raised a brow and smirked. “No reason to be jealous. They say Stanford is the Harvard of the West Coast.”
Shep couldn’t help but chuckle and that seemed to put everyone at ease. “That they do, Missy. That they do.” He’d graduated from Stanford with honors.
Missy had negotiated attending Harvard as part of the agreement when his parents had forced her to leave town. She had secured financial aid and won various scholarships, but he suspected his parents had made other arrangements, the evil, untrusting wretches. It’s all right. They’re gone and can’t hurt anyone anymore.
She toyed with the collar of his shirt, flashing him a mischievous grin. “I felt like plaid today. Hope you don’t mind.”
There it was. That sass he’d loved since she was five years old. He itched to get his hands on her, regardless of their audience.
“Go on and keep it. I doubt it would fit me now anyway.” He’d had a late growth spurt after Missy left for Cambridge. He was now three inches taller at six feet three and had bulked up.
She nodded and winked. He couldn’t resist any longer. Shep spread his arms and held his breath, praying she’d accept his offered hug. When Missy hesitated, his heart sank. Darn it.
But when she stepped into his embrace and held him tight, all was finally right with the world. Ten years of anger, longing, loneliness, and shattered dreams were whisked away. He inhaled her sweet essence and was home.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Releasing on 12/15/2022 for only 99 cents (limited time)
BookBub Giveaway w/3 winners: www.bit.ly/ShepherdGroveBBContest
Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMZDQ9YV
Barnes/Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940186584445
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1183579
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6444623752
What makes your featured book a must-read?
Featured in two charity anthologies, All Roads Lead to Shepherd Grove is a departure from Dania’s usual steamy romances. It’s on the sweet side, has small town charm and sensibilities, and is about forgiveness, family, second chances, empowerment and pursuit of your dreams.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $35 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win.
Runs December 13 – December 21, 2022.
Winner will be drawn on December 22, 2022.
Author Biography:
Int'l bestseller and award-winning author Dania Voss writes compelling, sexy romance with personality, heat, and heart. Born in Rome, Italy and raised in Chicagoland, she creates stories with authentic, engaging characters. She loves anything pink and is a huge fan of 80’s hair bands. A favorite with romance readers, her debut novel “On the Ropes", the first in her Windy City Nights series, became an international best seller. Dania’s books have won multiple awards including the 2019 Author Shout Reader Ready Awards, Oklahoma RWA 2020 Int’l Digital Awards, the 2021 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards (NERFA), in the Erotic Romance category, and the 2021 N.N. Light Book Award contest in the Steamy Romance category. Her work has been highlighted on NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX, and she has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Southern Writers Magazine, and Chicago Entrepreneurs Magazine (selected as the #8 Top Chicago Author in 2021). The Windy City Nights series (in digital format) is going to the moon in 2023, as part of the Writers on the Moon project. When she’s not writing, you can find Dania at a sporting event, a rock concert, or the movies (preferably a comedy).
Social Media Links:
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Website: https://www.daniavoss.com