Title: The Chances Trilogy Omnibus - Second Chance, Chance Encounter and Last Chance
Author: Martha O’Sullivan
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Book Blurb:
In Second Chance, star-crossed lovers Lindsay Foster and Brian Rembrandt get another chance at love amid the postcard-worthy backdrop of Lake Tahoe. In Chance Encounter, Delaney Richards and Mike Savoy’s quest for love takes them from Tahoe’s placid waters to the capricious streets of San Francisco. And in Last Chance, even the frigid temperatures of the snowcapped Sierra are no match for the long-bridled passion between friends turned lovers Moira Brody and Paul Webster. All of them will risk their hearts, and their lives, to find true love.
Excerpt:
Second Chance, The Chances Trilogy Book One
Chapter One excerpt (copyright 2020 by Martha O’Sullivan)
It was only because he was here again that she kept crossing his mind. He was long over her, Brian Rembrandt reminded himself with borrowed conviction, imbibing the brisk mountain air. All he needed was a stiff drink, a thick steak and a dealer having a bad night. Pushing down the past, he crossed the street under a cloak of pine trees draped in velvety, gray light.
He knew the way.
This wasn’t his first time in Lake Tahoe, especially on the Fourth of July. Summer before last, he and Lindsay had watched the fireworks illuminate the basin before making some sparks of their own on the beach. Lindsay had always wanted to make love on the sand, when the night was still but for the aspens whispering in the breeze and the occasional swoop of a gull’s wings.
Brian had been happy to indulge her. Several times.
“Good evening, sir.”
“Good evening.” Brian replied, stepping through the threshold of the huge mahogany doors. The floor-to-ceiling window wall gave way to a panoramic view of the lake cradled by the Sierra Nevada. “Rembrandt for dinner.”
“Yes, Mr. Rembrandt.” The hostess consulted the chart on the podium, then directed him to the lodge-style restaurant at lake level. "Right this way.”
He began to oblige, but stopped midway down the stairs, momentarily mesmerized by the breathtaking fusion of pastels coaxing the crimson sun into the pristine lake. So much so that when he resumed his stride, he inadvertently collided with someone. Careening on the staircase as if in slow motion, she attempted to grasp the banister for ballast. Instinctively, Brian hooked the waist of the woman half his size and pulled her to him. The force of his reach threw them both into the corner of the landing. “I’m so sorry!” he exclaimed, mortified.
She shook back a mane of blonde hair, revealing porcelain skin and a glossy mouth parted in surprise. And cobalt eyes that twisted Brian’s stomach muscles into braided dough. “Lindsay?” Her name catching in his throat, he stroked her cheek with the back of his free hand, holding her eyes in his for fear blinking would make her disappear. “My God, Lindsay.” Their faces were so close together that the air her sharp breaths took in had no doubt been in his lungs first. She gaped at him, as if she’d seen a ghost, as all color drained from her face. Heart beating out of his chest, Brian gulped back the shock and righted them both, taking her hand in the process. It felt soft and damp, like a morning rose. Or maybe that was his palm sweating. “Are you all right?”
She gave him a slow, affirming nod. “Brian.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “What are you doing here?” She took her hand back and lifted her chin a notch.
Brian shook off the stupor. “Putting out a fire.”
“A fire?”
“Work. Long story.”
“Oh.”
He wondered if she meant to sound that disappointed. “I can’t believe you’re here. I was just thinking about you.”
That seemed to surprise, then please her. Her mouth opened, but before she could articulate the thought, a man wearing a puzzled expression and a concerned frown arrived. “Linds? You okay?”
She swallowed the words, but her gaze remained fixed on his. “Yeah. I just lost my balance for a second.” She paused, then added, “Paul, this is Brian Rembrandt. Brian, Paul Webster.”
Brian tore himself away from her and extended his hand perfunctorily. “Nice to meet you.”
Lindsay’s companion met his firm handshake head-on.“Likewise.”
“Are you visiting your grandmother for the holiday weekend?” Brian returned to her, biting back the urge to break the arm now girdling Lindsay’s waist.
Her face clouded and her eyes hinted of tears as she shook her head from side to side. “She passed away last year.”
“I’m sorry,” he told her from the heart. “I know how much she meant to you.”
“She did indeed.” Her tone was wistful. “She was my only family.”
Silence hung over them for a few steady beats. Then her companion cleared his throat conspicuously and broke it in an even voice. “Our food has probably arrived by now. We should get back to our table.”
Lindsay’s eyes seemed to hold his a moment longer than she liked. Then she shifted her attention to her date and responded graciously, “Yes, of course. I never made it to the ladies room, though.” She excused herself and started up the stairs.
Brian found himself reaching for her. “Lindsay…”
She finished taking the step, then stopped. “It was nice to see you, Brian,” she tossed over her shoulder, swallowing hard. “Good luck with those fires.”
Brian could do nothing but watch her walk away in stunned silence. Then his gaze drifted to Webster and a tacit message passed between them. With a superior smile and a chuckle in his eyes, the other man pivoted on his heel and retreated.
Chance Encounter, The Chances Trilogy Book Two
Chapter One excerpt (copyright 2020 by Martha O’Sullivan)
It had been ages since Delaney Richards had given a man a second thought, let alone a second look. But the pilot with the hints of gray at the temples of his chestnut-colored hair and smiling eyes had caught her attention. She watched him greet the oncoming passengers before his gaze found hers and lingered. Then, fever rushing to her cheeks, she pretended to contemplate the baggage handlers loading an adjacent plane. She felt his measured stare for a moment more before he turned away.
“Can I bring you a drink before takeoff?”
Delaney shifted her attention in the direction of the hospitable voice. “Water, please,” she told the woman standing over her left shoulder. “Maybe a glass of red wine after takeoff.”
Delaney watched the flight attendant return to the front of the plane and whisper something to the pilot. Nodding in affirmation, he began retreating into the cockpit, but stopped short. His amber eyes met Delaney’s and held briefly before he closed the door.
Shaking off the revery, Delaney opened her bag and retrieved her laptop. Being appointed interim vice-president had been a well-deserved yet unexpected promotion. Her presentation in San Francisco next week could ensure the position became permanent. And she planned to nail it. She had no sooner brought up the opening slide of her presentation when the flight crew asked for everyone’s attention to review the safety procedures. Like most of the passengers, Delaney immediately tuned them out. Until a resounding voice filled the cabin, abruptly pulling her out of work mode.
“Welcome to United Airlines Flight 1126 to San Francisco. This is your captain. We anticipate a smooth four-hour-and-change flight to SFO this evening. I’ll update you along the way about our progress as well as point out any landmarks of note below. Enjoy the flight.”
The next thing Delaney knew, the flight attendant was back at her elbow again. “Not only do you have your row to yourself, but we’ve got the good California wine tonight.” She handed Delaney a glass and a cocktail napkin. “This must be your lucky day.”
Delaney returned the smile as the other woman took her leave. Maybe it was. Maybe her luck was finally starting to change.
Last Chance The Chances Trilogy Book Three
Chapter One excerpt (copyright 2021 by Martha O’Sullivan)
“It’s not like she owes me an explanation or anything,” Paul Webster told Jack Brody later that afternoon. “I’m just surprised.”
“I was too when she offered,” Jack said from across his cluttered desk. “But I’ve learned not to ask too many questions of the women in my life. Beginning with my sister and ending with my wife.”
Suddenly uncomfortable, Paul shifted in his seat and released a jagged breath. He’d gotten into the habit of taking Moira for granted, he supposed. But not to the tugging feeling in the pit of his stomach when he let himself think too much about her. “Where is she anyway?”
“Up at the lake. Lindsay’s in town. They’re picking out paint or curtains or something,” Jack informed him with a dismissive wave.
“Figures.”
“So what’s the deal with you two anyway?” Jack asked. “Is it an on-again, off-again thing?”
“No.” Paul found himself oddly offended. “There is no deal. It’s Moira for God’s sake. Sometimes it’s just a little weird. Almost like dating your sister.”
“Actually, it is dating my sister.” Jack’s hazel eyes clouded. “Don’t break her heart or anything. Hate to say it, but blood is thicker than water. Even though you literally saved my life in the latter.”
Jack ended on a light note, but Paul noted the nuance of his words. “It’s not like that. We stumbled into I don’t know what, and then right back out again. Hell, I’m in Portland nearly every week now and playing catch-up in the office on the weekends.”
Jack silenced his half-assed explanation with a decided hand. “Emily thought I should talk to you before we made any definite Valentine’s Day plans. In case you were planning a surprise.”
Paul leaned forward in an attempt to settle the restlessness swirling inside him. “What kind of surprise?”
Jack shrugged. “Dinner, flowers, little gifts. All that stuff I used to do before I got married.”
Paul had done all that stuff too…for Lindsay, he reminded himself with a mental kick. But everything with Moira was different. Easy, casual, familiar. Wooing her didn’t even occur to him. Should it? He sure as hell didn’t like the idea of wooing her occurring to someone else.
“So can I tell my hopelessly romantic wife that we have a night to ourselves?” Jack’s eyes danced hopefully.
“Only if she finds another babysitter,” Paul heard himself say. “Moira has plans.”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
The Chances Trilogy Omnibus is on sale in August for $7.99.
What’s the first binge-worthy book you read and why was it a must-read?
The first binge-worthy book I read was my first romance novel, Heartbeat by Danielle Steel. I’ve probably read it a hundred times. I still have it; it’s held together with rubber bands!
What makes your featured book a binge-worthy read?
The Chances Trilogy is three complete, standalone contemporary romances in one book. Dream of summertime in the Sierra in reunion romance Second Chance, find your heart again in San Francisco in romantic suspense Chance Encounter and escape to Tahoe’s winter wonderland as friends become lovers in Last Chance.
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:
Martha O'Sullivan has loved reading romance novels for as long as she can remember. Writing her own books is the realization of a lifelong dream. She is a graduate of Illinois State University where she wrote for the school newspaper and was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha. She is also a former Acquisitions Editor at MacMillan Computer Publishing. Martha writes contemporary romances with male/female couples and happy endings. Her Chances Trilogy—Second Chance, Chance Encounter and Last Chance—and standalone novel, Christmas in Tahoe, are available in print and digital formats at online retailers everywhere. Her next book, Sierra Fall, will be released in late 2024. A native Chicagoan, she lives her own happy ending in Florida with her husband and daughters.
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