Title: Christmas Cookies at the Cat Café: a Furrever Friends Sweet Romance
Author: Kris Bock
Genre: Sweet contemporary romance
Book Blurb:
Diane had a great marriage and a wonderful life raising two daughters and a grandson. Now she’s 53 and a widow. Her grown children are encouraging her to do less – but she wants more.
Rick loved Diane in high school, but he traveled the world while she settled down with another man. Now he’s back, but not to stay.
Rick temps Diane to quit her job, sell her house, and travel, but she can’t leave the family that might still need her. Diane tempts Rick to quit his wandering ways, but he can’t replace her husband. As the weeks pass from Thanksgiving to Christmas, the holiday season brings out complicated emotions.
Can Diane and Rick find a way to make a new life together while holding onto the best parts of the past? They'll need more than attraction and affection. They might even need a Christmas miracle.
The Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the workers and customers at a small-town cat café, and the adorable cats and kittens looking for their forever homes. Each book is a complete story with a happy ending for one couple (and maybe more than one rescued cat).
Excerpt:
A tapping came at the cat café window. Diane turned toward it, but with the glare, she could only make out a bulky silhouette. She got the impression of a man with broad shoulders, but with the heavy winter coats everyone was wearing after the cold snap earlier in the week, she couldn’t say for sure. It didn’t look like either Colin or Adam, and they both had keys anyway.
She crossed to the window. Would she be able to convey the message that the café didn’t open for another sixteen minutes?
As she neared the window, she caught the glare at a different angle. She still couldn’t see the person clearly, but a jolt of recognition hit her like a punch to the gut.
She did know this man. Had known him for a long time, or at least had known him well long ago. But she couldn’t yet name him, as her mind hadn’t caught up with what her gut knew.
The bright winter sunlight lit up a pom-pom on top of a jaunty knit cap in rainbow colors. It took a certain type of man to wear a hat like that in public, and the prickle of recognition deepened.
She shifted and bobbed her head, trying to get a clear view. He leaned closer to the window, grinned, and waved.
The breath left her lungs. Of course. Rick. How many years had it been since she’d last seen him? They’d been closest in high school, bonding in a photography class and dating for almost two years, until he graduated a year ahead of her. He’d been her first love. But that was thirty years ago – no, more like thirty-five. When he graduated, he left to see the world. He hadn’t asked her to wait for him. He probably knew then his journeys would take him years to complete, maybe a lifetime. Still, she had waited, optimistically, for six months.
Then she met Patrick. They fell in love. They shared the same dreams: family, a home, work in the small town where they’d grown up. They’d had two beautiful daughters and a good life until he died suddenly, far too young. The second anniversary of his death was coming up.
Memories crashed over her. The grief, the loss, the affection for both men. The dreams lived and the dreams never explored.
She gave herself a little shake and blinked to clear her eyes. Diane was good at holding back all the messy feelings and only showing the world what she wanted people to see. She could think about everything later. For now, one thought jumped to the front of her mind.
Rick was a professional photographer. He’d had photo essays in National Geographic – people, wildlife. If anyone could help her figure out how to corral a few playful house cats, it was Rick.
She smiled, waved back, and went to answer the door.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Grab your e-copy on Amazon for only 99 cents! Limited time offer so don’t delay.
What I love most about the holiday season:
I get to see my mother and brother. I might see my mother at other times, but not necessarily both together. Also, my husband and I are forced to take time off! We don’t vacation very much. We usually go to Arizona, where winter temperatures are delightful for outdoor activities such as hiking.
Why is your featured book a must-read to get you in the holiday mood?
I have a collection of holiday books on my Kindle. I don’t have a favorite reread, but I’ll usually choose a few of those to read in December. I also like to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon (US) gift card.
Open internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win.
Runs July 1 – 31
Drawing will be held on August 1.
Author Biography:
Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. Get a free 35-page novella set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café when you sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter. You’ll also get a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels and a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material.
Kris is also writing a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get a short story preview, or find the books at Amazon US or All E-book retailers.
Social Media Links:
Amazon US page or Amazon UK page. (For other countries click here.)