Synopsis:
An extravagant cake design brings small town baker Trent Kipson to
fame…
After gaining social media exposure of his culinary art, Trent’s
cake design goes viral. Soon he’s contacted by the Cooking Network to host a
new show in California. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for the owner of a
modest shop in Portland, Maine, and the financial freedom the network offers
could be the answer to all of his monetary problems.
Fitness instructor Rayne Wilde wants the life every small-town
girl dreams of…
Rayne wishes for a future full of romance and the pitter-patter of
little feet. She wants it all, including a white picket fence and a dog named
Spot—which is exactly why she refuses to sleep with Trent, the sexy man who
attends her Zumba classes. After a series of dead-end relationships, this time
she really is in love. Trent is special, and the fear of letting him slip
through her fingers keeps her advances at bay.
Life is waiting—all it takes is a leap of faith...
As their friendship grows and skeletons creep out of their
closets, their relationship is put to the test. Stakes get higher, and the
spark between them burns hotter than ever before.
Can they handle the heat when life-changing secrets are exposed,
or will the fear of being burned send them on two different paths?
PURCHASE:
Available on Kindle Unlimited!
About the author:
Marianne Rice writes
contemporary romances set in small New England towns. Her heroes are big and strong,
yet value family and humor, while her heroines are smart, sexy, sometimes a
little bit sassy, and are often battling a strong internal conflict. Together,
they deal with real life issues and always, always, find everlasting love. When
she’s not writing, Marianne spends her time buying shoes, eating chocolate,
chauffeuring her herd of children to their varying sporting events, and when
there’s time, cuddling with her husband, a drink in one hand, a romance book in
the other.
Excerpt:
“I’m hungry, so I bet you’re
starved.”
Unfortunately, Rayne pulled a
black dress thing over her turquoise bikini and reached down for the cooler.
“I’ve got it. Why don’t you grab
the bag?”
“Chauvinist,” she muttered with
a smile.
“No, a gentleman.” He winked and
hefted the cooler out of the canoe. “Damn, woman. What did you pack in here?”
“I know you have quite the
appetite, so I packed a little of everything.”
And by everything, she meant everything. Meat-filled subs, pasta
salad, potato salad, fruit salad, granola bars, cheese and crackers, humus,
some other sort of healthy-looking stuff…the woman knew the way to a man’s
heart. Except she didn’t pack any dessert.
And Trent had one hell of a
sweet tooth. Staring at her glistening pink lips, he thought of a very suitable
replacement for dessert. They sat on a blanket under a tree, ate, and talked
about other items on their bucket list. For him, skydiving, parasailing, bungee
jumping. She had more tame events: climbing the Eifel Tower, walking through
the Aztec ruins, hiking the Appalachian Trail. And of course, starting a
family.
Yeah, he could totally see
himself doing those things with her. Except the family part. They argued over
their lists and laughed at each other’s jokes. It was too damn bad he couldn’t
give Rayne what she desired.
“No cookies?”
“I didn’t think you’d have room
after all this.”
“Hell, I thought you knew me
better than that. I always have room for dessert.”
“You just wait. One of these
days all those snacks are going to catch up to you and you’re going to be
mistaken for Santa Claus,” she teased.
“And to think I shaved this
morning for you,” he said as he rubbed his cheeks.
“I like the scruff.”
Trent raised an eyebrow and
studied her. She had no idea how sexy she was. Or that everything she said and
did turned him on. “Really? Why is that?” He leaned back on his elbows and
looked up at her. Tanned skin, hair that was meant to be splayed across his
pillow, nervous chocolate-syrupy eyes. He itched to reach out and tuck the
stray curl behind her ear, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop there.
Rayne pulled her knees up to her
chest, wrapping her arms around her legs, and stared out over the river.
“You’re a nice guy, Trent.”
“Uh, oh. I’ve heard that one
before.” He chuckled, trying to lighten the moment.
She turned to face him and gave
him a sad smile. “I really like you and am glad we’re still friends after…after
my um, misunderstanding.”
His heart softened. No, it
turned into a melting puddle of ganache. If he was reading the signs right, she
was interested. Very interested. That could either spell trouble or hello sweet heaven. But if he turned her
down, that could ruin their friendship as well. Better to evade than to
disappoint.
Website: http://www.mariannerice.com/
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