Mixing Temptation
Second Shot, #3
Second Shot, #3
by Sara Jane Stone
Releasing September 13th 2016
Avon Impulse
Avon Impulse
From The Book Junkie Reads . . . Mixing
Temptation (Second Shot, #3) . . .
Caroline Andrews and Josh Summers, one sexy, hot, ginger, were the match that I was looking for in this series. They had different
reasons for needing a second shot. Love was not the only reason to need a second
chance at something important.
Their encountered began with the
previous books of the series. Through their secondary interactions with the
other leads made for a pleasurable journey for the two of them to finally make
that step to creating a relationship in Forever, OR.
Josh had experienced loss,
confusion, and the desire to want what was once his. He knew this look when he
saw it on the face of Caroline. There was this draw to Caroline that he could
not deny. Finally getting that chance to make things more was the opportunity
that he was looking for.
Josh captivated me back a few book
and the sweetness continues on. The sense of humor was on point and charming. He
was all the dream qualities one wants in a man strong, sweet, patient, kind,
and protective. His knack for baking pies makes him well liked. It also
provides a connection for him and Caroline.
I found Josh to my favorite Second Shot hero. He has my heart.
Caroline ws truly a match for him. Thank you Sara. Where are we heading next?
**This
ARC was provided via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.**
Second Shot series:
Running
Wild – Second Shot, #.5 SEE REVIEW
Serving
Trouble – Second Shot, #1 SEE REVIEW
Stirring
Attraction – Second Shot, #2 SEE REVIEW
Mixing
Temptation – Second Shot, #3
Blurb
In the third installment in Sara Jane Stone's dazzling Second Shot series, a beautiful but broken woman must decide if true love is worth risking everything...including her freedom
In the third installment in Sara Jane Stone's dazzling Second Shot series, a beautiful but broken woman must decide if true love is worth risking everything...including her freedom
After a
year spent living in hiding—with no end in sight—Caroline Andrews wants to
reclaim her life. But the lingering trauma from her days serving with the
marines leaves her afraid to trust the tempting logger who delivers friendship
and the promise of something more.
Following
an accident that nearly robbed him of his hopes for the future, Josh Summers
believes life has given him a second chance. He wants to settle down with the
woman who stole his attention and his heart. And he’s willing to wait until
she’s ready to be more than “just friends.” When fear of discovery leaves
Caroline pretending to be his date, Josh tempts her to try the real thing—a
relationship built on trust, not lies.
But
then the past threatens and Caroline must risk everything—including her
freedom—to bury her demons before she can take a chance on happy-ever-after.
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Excerpt
“May
I lick the whipped cream off your face?”
Josh
lowered his fork to the pie dish and waited for the Big Buck’s dishwasher to
catch up with the conversation. Pie—not flowers—had offered him the perfect way
to transition from the guy who found her in the woods to her friend. And he
couldn’t resist the temptation to switch from small talk to damn near close to
begging for a kiss.
And a date, he thought. I’m going to ask her out today.
Caroline
raised one perfect, dark eyebrow. One hand clasped a spoon and the other rested
on the stainless steel work surface that on busy nights held stacks of dirty
pint glasses waiting for her attention. Right now, it was just the two of them
and the pie. The bar wouldn’t open to Forever’s local logging population and
the university students who outnumbered the men and woman born and bred in this
section of the Willamette Valley for another hour.
“No,”
she said. Her tongue darted out from between her pink lips that always looked
as if she was wearing a kiss-me-now lipstick. Or course, he knew the woman
whose ideas of accessorizing involved a concealed weapon tucked into the
waistband of her pants did not bother with makeup. She licked the whipped cream
teasing the edge of her mouth. “I’ve got it under control.”
He
nodded, refilled his fork and lifted another bite of key lime pie to his mouth.
He always asked—for a touch, a taste, a kiss—but he never pushed. Caroline
would shift the parameters of their dessert-based friendship in her own time.
Or she wouldn’t and he’d be forced to come to terms with the fact that the
future he daydreamed about—settling down with Caroline, buying his own home,
maybe a dog—would replace sleeping with Megan Fox on the top of his Never Going
to Happen list.
“You’re
going to Noah’s wedding on Saturday night?” he asked, sliding back into
friendly chitchat. He’d waited a year to kiss Caroline the first time. And he’d
sit tight for another if it meant more sugarcoated kisses. To hell with his
siblings’ opinions.
“Just
because I can take the dishwasher apart and fix it every time it tries to quit
on us”—she nodded to the restaurant-grade appliance behind her—“doesn’t mean
Noah wouldn’t fire me for missing his wedding. Plus, he’s closing the bar for
the night. Everyone else is going.”
“Everyone
else is in the wedding,” Josh pointed out. Big Buck’s owner and manager was
marrying Forever’s former bad girl, who’d burst into his life over a year ago,
demanded a job, and quickly worked her way up to assistant manager. And the
only other bartender on the payroll right now was the groom’s best friend and
the bride’s big brother.
“True.
But I owe Noah. I can’t miss his wedding.”
Fair enough, he thought.
“A
couple of months ago, you asked me out on a date,” Josh pointed out.
“I
was feeling brave at the time.”
“Are
you canceling?” he challenged. If she said yes, he’d kiss her again. Maybe not
today, but one day soon. And he’d reminder her why she’d summoned the courage
to ask in the first place. He’d caught her looking, her eyes roaming over his
biceps with a flicker of something more than friendship in their green depths.
And if given the chance, he would let her run her fingers over his T-shirt,
mapping the muscles beneath . . .
“No,
I’m not canceling,” she said thoughtfully. “I’m still working out the details.”
“Be
my date to the wedding.”
Her
eyes widened, staring back at him as if he’d dropped to one knee and suggested
they follow her boss down the aisle.
“No,”
she said firmly. “Josh, I . . . Just no.”
Caroline
refused to look away. She’d spent months learning to read Josh’s facial expressions,
forcing herself to look past the red-gold stubble that screamed ‘I’m too sexy
for this bar.’
Or
his shirt.
Or
her . . .
Right
now, the corners of his mouth threatened to fall into a frown. Disappointment.
But he never let his smile falter for long. He always took a moment. Looked
away and then returned his gaze to her as if she hadn’t turned him down twice
in ten minutes.
But he knows I’m a
long way from whipped cream kisses in the bar’s back room.
And
dates.
Yes,
she’d asked him out once. But then reality had come crashing down on her. Her
life consisted of washing pint glasses and staying out of sight. She couldn’t
hope for more—not even a single night out at one of the restaurants near the
university—with a federal warrant hanging over her head.
Of
course, the police weren’t actively looking for her. As far as she knew. But if
the local cops, or even a state trooper passing through town, found out who she
was . . . If they learned why she kept to the shadows, she would be under
arrest and turned over to the military. She would have to pay the price for her
unauthorized absence. For refusing to deploy alongside the men who’d turned a
blind eye when their commanding officer ordered her into his bed. The men who’d
laughed with Dustin when he’d said he would force open her mouth and make her
take him between her lips . . .
And
then there was the elephant in the bar’s back room that would also tag along on
their date. She hadn’t had sex—oral or otherwise—because she wanted to since before she joined the marines. Josh had never
treated her like a victim, but there was a first time for everything.
“I’m
sorry,” she added. “But I can’t go to the wedding as your date. There will be
too many people. And everyone knows you. If they see me with you . . . they’ll
ask questions. And I can’t give them answers. I need to stay in the background,
hiding behind a plant or something. And then leave as soon as they cut the
cake.”
“A
wedding probably isn’t the best place for a first date.” He pointed his fork at
her. “Maybe once I get my own place, you can help me christen the kitchen.”
She
raised an eyebrow. “That assumes a lot for a first date.”
He
laughed. And the familiar sound threatened to lead her into his version of the
future. One where they would kiss in the kitchen and then—
“I
was talking about baking a pie together,” he said. “I’d invite you over to the
farmhouse, but I didn’t think you’d take kindly to receiving the third degree
from my siblings and their significant others.”
“Probably
not a good idea,” she murmured. She’d spent the past year trying to avoid his
two older brothers and his sister. It wasn’t hard seeing as his family lived in
Independence Falls, a solid hour’s drive from Big Buck’s Bar. Chad Summers, the
middle brother, had tried to befriend her, stopping by the bar’s back room with
his girlfriend, a drop-dead gorgeous woman who’d served in the army. But
Caroline had shut down their attempts.
Josh
Summers remained the one and only person she’d let in since she’d showed up on
Noah’s doorstep. There was something about the way he accepted the word ‘no’
that broke down her defenses. He never tossed the word aside, questioning
whether it was a knee-jerk response. He never pushed—not once—under the
pretense that he knew what was best for her. Not since that first night when
he’d found her in the woods. Even Noah, who’d had her back when they were
deployed together, pushed. Her fellow soldier turned boss tried over and over
to talk her into visiting the local gun club with him. She said no and he asked
again and again.
But
Josh always listened.
“Have
you started looking for a new apartment?” she asked, steering the conversation
away from dates that might lead to compromising situations.
“I’m
looking, but not for an apartment. I’m still sitting on my split from when we
sold the family trucking company. I want to use the cash to buy a piece of
land. Someplace with a nice view of the mountains, maybe space to put those
viticulture classes I’ve been taking to use and grow some grapes. Not a lot.
I’ve learned enough to know that is one tough business. I’d rather keep my day
job with Moore Timber and put my blood, sweat, and tears into building my own
home.”
“You
can do that?” The question slipped out before she could mask the surprise in
her voice.
“I’ll
need help, but I know what I want. Four bedrooms. Maybe five. Plenty of space
to spread out. Timber frame. A second story that is open to a great room below.
And one helluva kitchen with all the modern appliances. I’ll hire an architect,
and a builder. But I can swing a hammer with the best of them.”
Four bedrooms. Plenty
of space . . .
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Author Info
After several years on the other side of the
publishing industry, Sara Jane Stone bid goodbye to her sales
career to pursue her dream-writing romance novels. Sara Jane currently resides
in Brooklyn, New York with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young
children and a lazy Burmese cat. Join Sara Jane’s newsletter to receive new
release information, news about contests, giveaways, and more! Visit
www.sarajanestone.com and look for her newsletter entry form.
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INTERVIEW WITH SARA JANE STONE
How would you
describe you style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
SJS: First, thank you for hosting me today! I am thrilled
to celebrate the release of Mixing
Temptation (Second Shot #3) and can’t wait to hear readers’ responses to
Josh & Caroline’s story. Now for your questionJ
I write steamy contemporary romance. One of my early
readers said it best in her review for Running
Wild, the free prequel to the Second Shot series:
“She has a way
with the underdog, the hurting, and those who want to take away the hurt. Good
women. Good men. Strong characters and lots of steam.” ~ Cheri, Goodreads
Reviewer
Those words sum up the type of reading experience I try
to deliver with each and every story.
What mindset or
routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether
you are working on a project or just free writing)?
SJS: I have a six-year old and four year-old, plus a
husband who works a lot. I write whenever I can find a quiet moment. If
possible, I prefer quiet, but I’ll settle for the kids running through the
house like a pack of wild animals if I have an idea for a scene.
Do you take your
character prep to heart?
SJS: My characters walk into my imagination and start
talking. I learn the details about their personalities while I write the first
draft. When it comes to prep, I spend most of my research time looking into
their backgrounds. For Caroline’s character, I read a number of first-hand accounts
and interviews with women who have served or are serving in the military.
Do you nurture
the growth of each character all the way through to the page?
SJS: I certainly try! But I also tend to let the
characters lead the way.
Do you people
watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during
story creation?
SJS: Most of my character development comes from my
imagination and research. I think the characters fully form when I start
writing dialogue. I’ll often write full scenes in dialogue and then go back and
add the rest.
Have you found
yourself bonding with any particular character? If so which one(s)?
SJS: I loved Katie in Caught
in the Act (Independence Falls #2). She never backed down and always spoke
her mind. But I’m also very attached to my heroines who served in the military.
I’m in awe of their strength and determination—especially Caroline.
Do you have a
character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?
SJS: Caroline in Mixing
Temptation was that characterJ I was researching another plot point
when I stumbled upon a story about a woman who’d gone AWOL after she was
sexually assaulted while serving her country. And just like that Caroline
appeared in my story. I’d initially planned to keep her in the background. I
knew it would be hard to write a happy-ever-after for her situation. Every
account I read suggested it might prove impossible. Plus, I’d sold a very
different series to my editor. I’m very fortunate that she agreed to follow me
on this journey and find a HEA for Caroline!
Have you ever
felt that there was something inside of you that you couldn't control? If so
what? If no what spurs you to reach for the unexperienced?
SJS: No, but I think reading about other women’s
experiences pushes me to reach for the unexperienced.
I got this one
from a friend. If you could have dinner with 7 fictional character, who would
they be?
SJS: Senior Chief Stan Wolchonok
(from Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooter series), FBI
agent Jules Cassidy (also from Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooter
series), Hermione Granger (from the Harry Potter series), Professor Dumbledore
(also from Harry PotterJ), Josh Lyman (from the West Wing), Ramona Quimby (at any age, from the
Beverly Cleary Series), and Jane Eyre
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