Title: SINCE SEPTEMBER
Author: Allison Martine
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romcom/Women’s Literature
Book Blurb:
Most brides dream of planning every last detail of their wedding. Not Olivia Markham. She’d been down the aisle once already and regretted that decision, along with every other judgment call connected with her unfaithful ex. But she also never planned on falling for Adam Burkhardt, who proposed sooner than anyone could have guessed. So when Adam suggests letting their mothers suss out the particulars for their big day, Olivia agrees, hoping it will assuage their mothers’ trepidation towards their upcoming union. She even relents to having a bachelorette weekend, for the sake of her friends. Olivia shall endure more nuptial nonsense and play bride once again. They should have eloped.
Excerpt
Olivia angled her body to look down the row at their bridal party. Melinda was touching Dave’s arm, although Olivia couldn’t quite hear what she was saying to him since she was facing towards Dave and away from her and Adam. The bartender returned with drinks for Jamie and Melinda, and she saw Melinda clink her glass against Dave’s. Not for the first time, she simply wanted to pull Adam back to the elevator and return to their room.
She felt a soft hand on her shoulder, whipping around to see Lorrie at the bar behind her, Eddie by her side. Lorrie’s hair was still up—and still wet, which Olivia had honestly never seen before—and she strongly suspected the two of them had gotten in the shower together after she’d left their room. She was just glad neither had fallen over if the tub had gotten slippery from the massage oil.
She turned and embraced her friend, genuinely glad to see her, this scary little blonde-turned-defender of Olivia’s virtue. “Sushi, yes?” Lorrie asked. Eddie screwed up his face. She wondered if the Wisconsinite had ever tried raw fish. She hoped the restaurant had cooked options just in case he couldn’t bring himself to try it.
Olivia nodded, and Adam waved the bartender back to close out the tab. They made their way through the connecting lobbies to the resort on the other side of their own, just in time for their reservations at the sushi spot, which Melinda had found on some Best of Vegas list, raving to everyone (but mostly Dave, who’s arm she clung to as they strolled), about how many Michelin stars the restaurant had and that the executive chef had been a finalist on some cooking show. Olivia wasn’t sure if Melinda was trying to impress Dave, but hoped that Eddie was listening and would be confident to sample something decidedly out of his comfort zone.
Adam ordered a round of the house special cocktail for everyone. Olivia didn’t catch the name, but made sure to snap a photo of them toasting the bright green concoctions so she could forward it to Kelly. She sipped the booze—and it was definitely mostly booze—and simultaneously hoped it didn’t mean she’d be helping Jamie to bed, again, and also that if Eddie downed enough he’d eat whatever was on the menu, especially because they’d gone for the All You Can Eat option. She didn’t want Eddie to starve.
Soon, the server began bringing tray after tray of cut rolls and sashimi, and everyone began sampling pieces from the little porcelain dishes, dipping them in soy or wasabi or both. Olivia was surprised to see Eddie using the chopsticks like a pro, but realized they’d never had the opportunity to use them in Texas. She shouldn’t have assumed they’d be unfamiliar to him simply because he was from Wisconsin, but was glad Melinda had made reservations for sushi, not Indian. She already knew that wouldn’t have gone over with Eddie unless he’d suddenly developed a taste for curries since September.
Adam selected a piece of sashimi, dipping it lightly in soy and wasabi, then turned to Olivia, the question in his eyes. She nodded and opened her mouth as he set the otoro on her tongue, studying her as she savored it. She met his eyes as she ate, watching as his tongue slipped out and touched the corner of his mouth. Subtle, but unmistakable for anyone watching. She hoped it was just her. She was sitting across from Dave, with Melinda next to him. If Melinda saw him feeding her, she didn’t say anything, but seemed engrossed in whatever Dave was saying, which Olivia had tuned out. Olivia fought to ignore the look in Adam’s eyes as he offered her another piece, because if he was going to keep feeding her he’d better be prepared to be her dessert.
She took the piece, then turned away, trying to focus on whatever Jamie was saying, distracted both by Adam’s hand— back on her knee, and she couldn’t decide if she wanted it there or not—and watching Melinda bantering with Dave. She told herself it was a good thing; if Melinda was, well, occupied with Dave, that worked for everyone. She’d keep her cattiness to herself, and if they both seemed to be enjoying the other’s company, wasn’t that for the best?
She saw the offerings on the tray dwindle, figuring more would be coming if they asked, noticing a slice of unagi—eel—one of Adam’s favorites, and pinched it with her chopsticks. She offered him the piece—no sauce, just the way he liked it—as he’d done for her, and watched his lips as he took it. If she wasn’t distracted before, she was then. His hand made its way further up her leg, abandoning her knee as his fingers stroked the inside of her thigh. Olivia lost track of what else the waiter brought out or if anyone said anything particularly clever.
She forgot to take any more pictures that night and hoped Kelly would forgive her.
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
SINCE SEPTEMBER is an emotionally charged story, exploring what it really means to say “I do”. Full of clever banter, steamy romance, and colorful characters, SINCE SEPTEMBER follows Adam and Olivia, who kindled their romance in “dibs,” down the aisle—which ends up being quite the obstacle course, with meddling mothers, snarky frenemies, and a touch of unexpected guest list drama. SINCE SEPTEMBER is the champagne toast for The Bourbon Books series.
Giveaway –
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Open Internationally.
Runs June 7 – June 19, 2024.
Winner will be drawn on June 20, 2024.
Author Biography:
Allison Martine is a multi-genre author and podcast host and can be found on the Vox Vomitus Channel on YouTube, where she hosts TO THE MOON, ALLISON, chatting with the top and trending authors in science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, and romance, and is the co-host of the flagship show, VOX VOMITUS. She’s an Orange County near-native and can be found wandering through her favorite local indie bookstores and coming up with ridiculous reasons to buy more books.
Social Media Links:
X/Twitter: https://x.com/AFictionalHubb1
Facebook: Author: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063474850071
The Bourbon Books Group Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/678304989387710
Threads: @a_fictional_hubbard