Title: Forever in a Moment
Author: Charlotte O’Shay
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Book Blurb:
A stormy encounter...
Samantha DeMartino's Christmas wedding is two weeks away when her fiancé calls the whole thing off. Word on the street: his cold feet are being heated by an old flame. With her well-ordered world in complete disarray, Sam's friends convince her to go on her honeymoon—alone. A week at a charming Vermont inn away from the city and her demanding corporate career could be just what she needs to figure out her next steps. Between his twenty-four-seven work schedule on his family's dairy farm and teaching tourists to ski, Jed Armstrong's too busy to think about how lonely he is...until Sam sings her way into his life during a Christmas blizzard. Now he has to figure out a way to convince her to stay. Can a vivacious city woman find forever with a reclusive farmer?
Will her secret keep her from trying?
Excerpt:
I stand and shove my hat on my head, anxious to go, not bothering to tuck in the unruly curls escaping my braid.
“Thanks, Jed. Um, tomorrow I’ve made other plans. But…um…thanks for these lessons. I’ve learned so much.” After that stilted speech, which I’ve been practicing in my head for the last five minutes, I smile so wide my bottom teeth are surely showing.
I back toward the door trying to memorize the exact way his hair catches the light streaming through the window. When I put my hand in my jacket pocket, his jaw clamps so hard and his eyes go so dark, I wonder what I’ve done to merit his displeasure before I realize he thinks I’m reaching for cash to tip him. But I pull out my gloves and put them on. They’re my final armor against him. God knows I’ll never forget the feel of his hands on me, whether gentle, capable or rough. I still feel them all over me, cupping my jaw, roving my body, tangling in my hair. I turn and reach for the handle on the door.
“Samantha.” If his voice were angry or commanding I’d have kept going. But his voice is low and there’s an anguished, guttural quality to the way he says my name. And I won’t have it. I can’t have him thinking anything negative about me after I go.
When I turn, he takes a step toward me and I raise a hand. “Stop…I can’t think when you get too close.” My face heats as those damning words spill out and he chuckles, a genuine laugh and it’s the only one between us today.
“Glad I still amuse you.” I fold my arms across my chest.
“I feel the same way, Sam.”
“Jed, don’t make this tougher,” I say but he keeps speaking in that same harsh voice.
“When I’m near you everything fades away except the need to be closer. Close enough to watch your eyes cloud up when I’m about to kiss you, close enough to hear your breathing get ragged when my hands are on you.”
“Jed, we agreed…”
He shakes his head. “No, I gave in. Because you asked me to. If I had my way, I’d see you all day, every day and… sleep with you every night. I…”
“Stop,” I say. “This, us, whatever this is—can’t happen. I go back to New York in a couple of days.”
“Sam, I…”
“No.” I slash my hand through the air. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.” I’m on edge, close to tears at the way I can’t control my response to him. And all my precious logic is eluding me.
He plows a hand through his hair then captures my gaze with his and I can’t look away.
“What’s happening is us. We’re happening. This is our beginning. You and me together. I’d started to think it would never happen. But it did. When I saw you that first night…I knew. And you did too.”
“No.” My denial is swift. “No. I didn’t. It’s not that simple. We hardly know each other…” I lift my chin in spite of the flush I know covers my cheeks. I think of Jed kissing me awake in bed after a perfect, unforgettable night and I squeeze my eyes shut at the sharp stab of need the recollection brings. But it’s true, isn’t it? We don’t know each other. I surprise myself when a tear trickles down my cheek and I swipe it fast.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
· Kobo
· Nook
· Audible
· Bookbub
What I love most about the holiday season:
The holidays mean sacred music, twinkle lights, baking cookies and get-togethers with family and friends.
Since I live in the northeastern part of the US, the holiday season is a good excuse for indoor, cold weather indulgences like enjoying a hot cocoa by the fire, with snuggly slippers on my feet and a romance novel in hand.
I love spending time outdoors during the holiday season. For a real treat, I go cross country skiing (like Samantha in Forever in a Moment) and ice skating. My father was an amazing athlete and when I was a kid, he taught me to ice skate on a frozen lake while on a weekend vacation away from New York. It’s one of my favorite memories.
Why is your featured book a must-read to get you in the holiday mood?
Forever in a Moment is a must-read romance for its spirit of hope and new beginnings. Samantha and Jed meet on Christmas night in a blizzard when they’re both at a low point in their lives. When sparks fly between them they almost can’t believe it. Sam’s infectious optimism pulls Jed out of his grump shell. When the New Year arrives it’s truly a new beginning for both of them.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon 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:
The only thing award-winning author Charlotte O’Shay loves more than reading heart pounding romance where happily ever after always wins is writing them. Charlotte lives with her in real life hero, Mac in New York City where walks along the Hudson River serve up fresh story ideas every day.
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