Author: Lynnette Austin
Series: Magnolia Brides, Book 1
ISBN: 9781492617976
Release date: November 3, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Synopsis
SOME DREAMS ARE WORTH WHATEVER IT TAKES
Jenni
Beth Beaumont left her broken heart behind when she took her dream job
in Savannah. But after her brother's death, Jenni Beth returns home to
help mend her parents' hearts as well as restore their beautiful but
crumbling antebellum
mansion. New dreams take shape as Jenni Beth sets to work replacing
floors and fixing pipes to convert the family homestead into the perfect
wedding destination. However, some folks in their small Southern town
are determined to see her fail.
Cole
Bryson was once the love of Jenni Beth's life, but the charming
architectural salvager has plans of his own for the Beaumont family
home. As the two butt heads,
old
turmoil is brought to the surface and Cole and Jenni Beth will have to
work through some painful memories and tough realities before they can
set their pasts aside and have a second chance at their own happily ever
after.
Author Bio
The luxury of staying home when the
weather turns nasty, of working in PJs and bare feet, and the fact that
daydreaming is not only permissible but encouraged, are a few of the
reasons middle school teacher
Lynnette Austin gave up the classroom to write full-time.
Lynnette grew up in Pennsylvania’s Alleghany Mountains, moved to Upstate
New York, then to the Rockies in Wyoming. Presently she and her husband
divide their time between Southwest Florida’s beaches
and Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. A finalist in RWA's Golden Heart
Contest, PASIC's Book of Your Heart Contest, and Georgia Romance
Writers' Maggie Contest, she’s published five books as Lynnette
Hallberg. She’s currently writing as Lynnette Austin. Having
grown up in a small town, that’s where her heart takes her—to those
quirky small towns where everybody knows everybody...and all their
business, for better or worse.
Social Networking Links
Website: http://www.authorlynnetteaustin.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LynnettAustin
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/romwriter/
Buy Links
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1LB67Qs
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1OQ4ram
Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/1KmbMbg
Apple: http://apple.co/1KmbH7G
Character Profile
Full Name: Kimberly Alicia Atherton
Nickname: Kimmie
Occupation: Serial Divorcee
Physical description: Five-feet-five, bottle blond, chin-length hair, brown eyes, and very well-endowed.
Age: 25
Describe yourself in 100 words or less:
Okay,
so let’s be honest. I’m Misty Bottoms’ mean girl, and I have to say I
worked pretty darned hard for that title. When I see what I want, I go
for it. In high school, when Cole Bryson asked me to the prom? Heck,
yeah, I said yes. I
mean, seriously, would you turn him down? No, you would not! Gotta say,
though, that life hasn’t been exactly what I’d imagined. Two husbands
and on the search for number three! I love to wear my red cowboy boots, a
pair of denims short enough to show my…you
know, my assets and a T-shirt covered in bling!
What is your favorite thing about living in Misty Bottoms? Where in Misty Bottoms can you most often be found?
My mom and dad still live here, and,
hey, this is home. It’s a small town, and it’s kind of nice to know
everybody. That can be a two-edged sword, though, because my potty mouth
still gets back to my mom, who insists I’m not too old to
have my mouth washed out with soap. I really like hanging out at
Duffy’s Pub. It’s a good place to have a cold beer, play a little pool,
and, who knows? Maybe I can find hubby number three there.
When not working, how do you spend your time?
Right
now, I’m actually driving down to Savannah a couple days a week, taking
a cosmetology class. I really hope Helen, the owner of Frenchie’s
Beauty Parlor, will give me a break and hire me to do nails at her
salon.
If money was no object and you had 3 weeks of vacation, what would you do with your time?
I’d take my mom and go to a spa in
some exotic location. Somewhere we could get massages and facials and
they had room service. The farthest I’ve ever made it from Misty Bottoms
was Atlanta. My first husband and I lived in a tiny little
speck on the map between here and there, and my second husband and I
lived in an even smaller town.
Describe your dream wedding:
My dream wedding starts with a guy who
loves me and will actually stick with me—even when I do stupid things. I
mean, don’t we all make mistakes? And shouldn’t we all have a second,
okay, a third chance?
The
actual wedding? Well, let me tell you, it would be a whole lot
different from either of my first two. Larry and I went to a JP for a
quickie wedding, and Joe and I got married at his house by a friend who
had a license to do that. Believe
me, neither of them was my dream wedding! I’d love to have a really
girlie, really romantic wedding. You know, with the big dress, a long,
white one with a huge skirt and lots of ruffles. No, wait. I changed my
mind. I’ve got a body! Why not show it off?
For flowers? Roses. Lots and lots of roses. Oh, and a pink cake.
Excerpt
Her
experienced gaze scrutinized the scene, took in both the setting and the
people, alert for any problems. The arbor, with its draping of
wisteria, had turned out beautifully and smelled like heaven itself. The
bride’s family, the groom’s family—both wore expressions of happiness
mixed with a touch of relief.
Jenni
Beth’s eyes drifted to the flower girl. Daniella was antsy, her little
fingers busily plucking the lace from the basket that held rose petals.
And what in the world was Ricky, the ring bearer, doing to his
shoelaces? Her eyes narrowed. Had he tied them together? Oh, boy.
As
the sun set, the minister announced the newly joined Mr. and Mrs.
Talbot, and Jenni Beth clapped with the rest of the guests while
checking to make sure the walkway remained clear. The music began on
cue, and
the happy couple started down the aisle, hands laced, smiles bright.
When
the ring bearer tripped, the best man scooped him onto one shoulder,
diverting a minor catastrophe. She’d have to remember to thank him for
the quick thinking.
If the reception went as smoothly, she could congratulate herself on a job well done.
While the
bride and groom funneled their guests through the receiving line, Jenni
Beth bolted to a separate section of the garden to make sure the cake,
the bubbly, and the band were in place. She did a last-minute
check on table settings, place cards, candles—the list was never
ending.
The music started, the bridal party wended their way to the area, and the celebration began.
As the evening wore on, Jenni Beth relaxed.
A familiar voice whispered in her ear. “Dance with me.”
Cole Bryson. She hadn't seen his name on the guest list.
Shivers raced down her spine, and her heart stuttered. It had been too long, not long enough. “No.”
She wouldn't turn around, wouldn't meet those mesmerizing eyes.
His hands
settled on her bare arms, and she nearly jumped. As the work-roughened
hands moved over her skin, her stomach started a little dance of its
own.
“I'm working, Cole.”
“Nothin' needs doin’ right now. Come on, sugar.”
Knowing
she shouldn't, she turned to face him. Mistake. She always had found
him irresistible, and that hadn't changed. He'd perfected that slow
Southern drawl, had the sound of a true gentleman. But the twinkle
in his eyes gave him away. Revealed the bad boy tucked not far below
the surface.
Right
now, dressed in a dark suit and tie, the man looked like every woman's
dream. He appeared smooth and debonair, but beneath lay the wild.
He took her
hand, and, God forgive her, she followed him, weak-kneed onto the
portable dance floor, telling herself she didn't want to, that she only
did it to keep peace. Knowing she lied.
A full moon
shone overhead and candlelight flickered. When he drew her into his arms
and pulled her close, she sighed. One hand held hers, the other settled
south of her waist.
“You smell good, Jenni Beth. You always do.”
His voice,
low and husky, sent goosebumps racing up and down her arms. Despite
herself, she rested her head against his chest, seduced by the strong,
steady beat of his heart, the illusion he could make everything
and anything all right.
*** Giveaway ***
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