Title: Secondhand Hearts – A Last Chance Beach Novella
Author: Kathryn Hills
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Sweet Romance / Later-In-Life Romance / Beach Read / Short Read
Book Blurb:
Life takes you down many winding paths. Will theirs lead to love on Last Chance Beach?
Tasked with convincing her beloved grandmother to move back to the mainland, Kat Worthington returns to Last Chance Beach. This vacation island paradise is filled with cherished memories, and the thought of relocating her loved one weighs heavy on Kat’s heart. Is the alternative to uproot her life, stay on the island, and help run Gran’s charming B&B and antique shop?
Handsome neighbor, Ben Hadley, sure hopes it is. He and his playful pup are doing their best to upend Kat’s plans. Will their efforts convince her to stay?
Or will it require some of Gran’s special island magic?
Excerpt:
Kat Worthington eased the screen door open and stepped across the threshold into Sandpiper Cottage. She smiled at the familiar scent of lemons and the creak of the wide wooden floorboards that spoke to her of carefree summers and childhood.
“Gran?” she called into the tranquil space. The endless ticking of the vintage clock was all that answered.
She dropped her laptop case and phone onto the long kitchen table and ventured deeper into the nineteenth century farmhouse – the Bed & Breakfast her beloved grandparents had owned and operated for over fifty years. A maze of hallways led her further into the cooler part of the house. Sunshine through sea glass-blue transom windows cast the tiny foyer in soft ocean tones. Light rippled over traditional antique-white paint and the well-worn mahogany staircase. She marveled at the old Oriental runner, still intact despite countless seasons of tourists with sandy feet.
Kat climbed halfway to the second floor and cocked an ear. “Gran, are you up there?” Nothing aside from the whisper of late-summer winds. She swiped at her damp face. “No air conditioning?”
Hadn’t Mom mentioned Gran was always chilly due to her poor circulation?
Stepping outside onto the wide veranda, she shielded her eyes against the glare of afternoon sun on diamond-like sand. Golden grasses danced in the hot breeze. Seabirds called from her favorite beach across the street.
She worked her way around the white clapboard building, crunching gravel and broken seashells beneath her designer heels. The huge red barn—Secondhand Hearts Antique Shop—waited like a treasured friend. Kat sighed in reverence. It was good to be back in the place she had always considered home.
The happy tinkling of shop bells announced her entrance. Jam-packed with antiques and novelties, the place was as much a feast for her eyes as it had been when she was young. She patted the ancient stuffed grizzly still guarding the door.
“Hello, Teddy. I’ve missed you.” The aroma of old things and mustiness made her nostalgic.
All the same.
“Gran? It’s Kat. Are you here?”
A crate of porcelain English teacups lay partially unpacked on the floor, and she marveled how such haphazard items found their way to an antique store on a vacation destination island.
Scraping sounds from above had her lifting her gaze. She hiked up her skirt and braved the rough pine stairs.
The second floor of the old barn was sweltering. Without the hay doors opened, the place was suffocating. Full of shadows and cobwebs. Dust particles drifted through what little light penetrated cracks in the siding.
Kat peeled off her suit jacket, hesitating before she tossed it on top of an old steamer trunk. She fanned her face with her hands, silently scolding herself for not changing before the drive. She’d wanted to arrive in time to persuade Gran to go to dinner, although, maybe a busy restaurant wasn’t the best place to explain why she’d come.
“Hell and tarnation.”
The familiar words of irritation made her grin.
“Gran, it’s me. What are you doing up there in this heat?” She flipped a heavy blond curl away from her hot cheeks and faced the ultimate challenge – the rickety steps to the storage loft.
“Kitty? Is that you, child?” Sounds of tumbling boxes were followed by, “Land sakes alive.”
Kat sprinted up the remaining steps in panic, horrified to find Gran teetering on a ladder, clutching a box. She rushed forward in time to break the old woman’s fall. They landed together in a heap on the filthy floor.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” Kat scrambled to her feet as her grandmother sputtered and spit dust. “Did you hurt anything? Please tell me you didn’t break a hip.”
Gran stood with her help and brushed dirt from her patchwork jeans. She patted her arms and legs, then her white-haired head. With a wide grin, she declared, “All systems, go.”
“Thank goodness. You scared the life out of me. What were you thinking, coming up here alone in this heat? You could have hurt yourself, and no one would know until they found you dead.” Kat took a deep breath and schooled her spiraling emotions. Thirty years of living had shown scolding her favorite family member would do no good. In fact, it would likely have the opposite effect she desired.
“Look at that… Didn’t even break the pot.” Gran gave her a sassy little wink. “You’ve always been one for divine timing, Kitty.”
“Pot?”
“Yup, I knew I had a matching teapot to the set that came in yesterday.” Gran stood a little straighter and squared her chin. “Besides, I’m not alone. Ben is here.”
“Who the heck is Ben?”
“That’d be me.” A deep, male voice came from behind, startling Kat. Spinning with a gasp, her eyes widened when connecting with six feet plus of drop-dead gorgeous, dark-haired man. He met her stare full-on without so much as a hint of humility, and he nodded a curt greeting.
“Haddie Marshall, are you up to your old tricks again?” Ben brushed past Kat. “I told you to wait and I’d look with you.”
“Well, I didn’t want you fussing. I know you’re busy.”
“Excuse me,” Kat interrupted, not bothering to disguise the irritation in her voice. “Who are you, and why would you allow my seventy-seven-year-old grandmother to climb to the scorching top of a barn and up a ladder for a teapot?”
The man stared at her in silence. One dark brow cocked in obvious annoyance.
“Ben Hadley…meet my first grandbaby, Kitty Worthington,” Gran announced with a proud smile.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4jAjZZ
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/secondhand-hearts-a-last-chance-beach-novella-by-kathryn-hills
What’s your favorite activity to shake off the winter doldrums?
Living in northern New England, I need a bunch of favorites to tackle the long winter months. Writing my next book is a biggie. There’s nothing like immersing myself in world-building. But writing isn’t for everyone, so I’d suggest reading, preferably with a cozy blanket and your favorite snuggle buddy.
Next up… Celebrate both big and small events! From winter holidays to “just because it’s the weekend,” make and enjoy special moments. Cook something wonderful, host a movie night, turn up the music, and use the good china and stemware! What are you waiting for?
Last, but certainly not least, add some sparkle! I LOVE, Love, love twinkle/fairy lights and candles! And not just during the holidays. I consider them “light magic,” and they really brighten up those dark, winter nights for me. Psst… Confession time. I use twinkle/fairy lights and candles year-round. Gift yourself some fancy, faux candles with timers and remotes and light up those nights!
Why is your featured book a cure for the winter blues?
Last Chance Beach is an amazing way to beat the winter blues! Talk about a book escape/vacation! Think gorgeous, island paradise with a small town vibe during the off-season. Yet it’s exciting and bustling with tourists during other times. Take your pick!
Stay at the charming Sandpiper Cottage B&B. There’s an antique shop out back in the big, red barn. Get some warm sand between your toes or set a spell on the sprawling front porch. Ocean views abound. Did I mention there’s a hunky handyman living nearby?
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $35 Amazon gift card
Open internationally.
Runs March 1 – 31, 2024
Drawing will be held on April 1, 2024.
Author Biography:
KATHRYN HILLS...Best-selling romance author, ghost hunter, dog lover, and iced coffee addict. She’s hauntingly romantic unless she’s writing sweet. From graveyards to country inns, get ready to explore spooky mysteries and have some sexy fun!
Find Kathryn Hills Online