Title: Sweet Hart Inn at Harbor Falls
Author: Maddie James
Genre: Contemporary Romance (small town)
Book Blurb:
Welcome to Harbor Falls!
This two-book bundle is your series starter into the Harbor Falls Romance Series! Enjoy the first two books in the series, so you can meet and come to know many of the people, and the lifestyle, of Harbor Falls, North Carolina. In this set, I've included the following two books:
All of My Heart (Book 1) Take My Heart (Book 2)
All of My Heart, Book 1. When Suzie Hart inherits the lakeside Victorian cottage that eventually becomes Sweet Hart Inn, she imagines her life all planned out ahead of her. She will run the inn, write her recipes, conduct her cooking classes, and pick up an occasional catering job with her cousin Sydney Hart, who owns the local bakery. Her life in Harbor Falls is predictable--a welcome change from the chaos of recent months--and that's the way she likes it. Predictability makes her happy. And then chaos rides his bad ass Harley up to her bed and breakfast doorstep--and her perfect, predictable, and well-planned world starts crumbling like yesterday's blueberry muffins. Take My Heart, Book 2 . Harbor Falls Police Officer Matt Branson values being alone, even during the holidays. Dubbed the town hermit, he prefers the solitude of his mountain cabin to socializing with friends who say he still pines after the woman who got away. But the snowy day he pulls over an older model sedan speeding into Harbor Falls, things change. His gut slams against his backbone as a tearful woman rolls down the car window. His heart melts when she looks up into his eyes.
Shelley Hart is back in town--the woman who sent him into his cave in the first place.
Excerpt:
The thousand voices parted, and one voice came to the forefront. His words drifted across her face on a soft and whispery breath, edged with familiar rasp. In her hazed state, it felt as if he were stroking her face with his fingertips, brushing strands of hair from her eyes. No, he wouldn’t do that. Would he? But she felt so warm, protected, like he had cradled her deep in his arms.
Who?
“Suzette. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he whispered.
Suzie blinked several times as her brain came back to awareness. Brad. He was holding her. She was cradled in his arms. He was stroking her face and cooing down at her.
Shit! She bolted upright.
He grabbed her and pulled her back down into his lap. “Suzette! Sit still. You passed out and hit your head.”
“What… What are you doing here? Oh...” Dizzy again. Dammit. She should have eaten dinner before doing the planting. She knew better than to let her blood sugar get out of whack.
“Would you quit squirming? I’m not going to hurt you.”
That was probably the understatement of the century. Hurt her? No, Brad Matthews would never hurt her—physically. Emotionally? Probably. She searched his face through fuzzy eyes. It had been eighteen months since she’d seen him. She didn’t want to acknowledge to herself how much she had missed that face.
She scooted up, rubbed her temple, and pushed away from him. “Brad, I….”
“Let’s get an ice pack for your head. And a painkiller. You’re going to have a nasty bruise. We may need to take you to the emergency room.”
Oh hell no. The last thing Suzie wanted was for Brad Matthews to take her to the Harbor Falls Hospital ER. Think she was talk of the town now? Wait until the gossip mongers got hold of that one. Bad-boy type motorcycle dude carrying poor Suzie in his arms. What is that all about? Made-up stories would be flying all over town before morning. Even more frightening was him taking care of her in her own home. She didn’t need that. Too close, too private, too many memories flooding back. She had to get rid of him.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you inside.”
But for some insane reason, Suzie reneged. She let him help her to her feet and lead her into the house. His arm steadying her, she moved alongside like an obedient puppy. Which was fine since it appeared she was still a little weak in the knees.
And it wasn’t from not eating.
****
Brad took a deep breath as he entered Suzie’s house, glanced about, and settled her on the sofa in the living room.
“You sit tight,” he ordered. “I’m going for ice. Which way is the kitchen?”
Slinking back into the sofa cushions, Suzie’s glazed eyes worried him. She pointed down the hall and he moved in the direction she’d indicated. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her. Or hurt her. That was certainly not his plan. He’d contemplated for days how she’d react when she saw him, when she realized the Mr. Logan who had made a reservation at her B&B last week was really him. He’d known she’d be thrown for a loop, that she might even get mad. He’d walked himself through all those scenarios a hundred times. He knew exactly how he would react to any of a dozen things she might toss at him.
But he hadn’t planned for this. Scaring the hell out of her and hurting her. Dammit!
He bolted into her kitchen, looking right and left. Ice. Yes, that’s what he needed.
The kitchen momentarily took him off guard and for a split second, he stood and admired the bright and cheery room painted sunshine yellow with white accents. The large center island balanced a trellis of polished pots hanging above. The stainless steel, restaurant-style gas stove sat on the spit-shined hard-wood floors. Bright white cabinets, some open shelving and some with glass doors, plus a host of stainless appliances, cutlery, and cookery items completed the upscale kitchen design.
In a glance, he knew it was probably the best home kitchen design he’d ever seen.
He could get lost in here. Never mind, Matthews. Salivate over her kitchen later.
His gaze shot back to the side-by-side stainless refrigerator/freezer combo. He quickly located ice, a large zipper bag, and a hand towel. In a few quick steps, he was back by her side in the living room.
Her eyes were closed, her breathing soft.
For a moment, all he wanted to do was look at her. A flash of memory seared through his brain. Watching her come awake was one of his fondest memories of the short time they’d spent together. Strawberry blond hair slinked lazily over her brow, honey-brown freckles sprinkled over a pert nose and cream-colored complexion—heaven, pure heaven. Those small chili-pepper lips could both tempt and beckon….
Not now, Matthews. Not now.
“Suzette. Wake up, sweetheart. You shouldn’t sleep.”
He roused her. A few quick eye blinks batted back at him.
“Hm?”
Moving closer, he shook her shoulder, then lifted her head to place the ice on her growing head bump. “I’m going to put the ice— Ow!”
Suzie bolted upright when the ice hit her temple, hands flailing, knocking a clenched fist into his arm. His hand holding the ice bag shot back and knocked him square in the right eye.
“Ow!” he shouted again.
“What the…?” Suzie stared at him, wide-eyed. “You’re bleeding!”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/sweet-hart-inn-at-harbor-falls-a-small-town-second/id1516503796
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1082298
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Maddie_James_Sweet_Hart_Inn_at_Harbor_Falls?id=zXcREAAAQBAJ
What’s the first binge-worthy book you read and why was it a must-read?
A younger version of myself devoured Phyllis Whitney novels. It was like eating chocolates out of a box. Which one do I pick today? There was something about her moody settings, the brooding hero, the innocent heroine, the aura of mystery, a hint of romance, and the dash of the unexpected that lured me into each and every one. Maybe one day I shall write such a novel….
What makes your featured book a binge-worthy read?
Small town. Romance. Quirky characters. And 15 stories all set in one place! What’s not to love? Get the first two books in this set then gobble up the rest.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon gift card
Open internationally.
Runs August 1 – 31, 2023.
Drawing will be held on September 1, 2023.
Author Biography:
Whether writing flirty contemporary romance or gritty romantic suspense, Maddie James writes to silence the people in her head.
In 2022, Maddie celebrated her 25th year of publishing romance fiction under multiple pen names. Her collective body of work includes over 70 titles. Maddie loves writing small town contemporary romance and cowboy worlds, and as M.L. Jameson she pens romantic suspense. You might find a few naughty short stories written under another pen name if you look hard enough.
Affair de Coeur says Maddie, “shows a special talent for traditional romance,” and RT Book Reviews claimed, “James deftly combines romance and suspense, so hope on for an exhilarating ride.”
Learn more at https://maddiejamesbooks.com/pages/about
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