Empi Baryeh's Blog, page 12

#BookReview: His Captive Princess by Kiru Taye | #HisCaptivePrincess #RHOSaene @KiruTaye

His Captive Princess is Book 3 of the Royal House of Saene series from Love Africa Press. Before I continue, I should mention (especially those who are new to me of my blog) that I wrote book 2 of the series, His Inherited Princess. Aside from communication to ensure consistency in common aspects of the series, we had very little input in each other's stories, so just like you, I’d been eagerly awaiting the release of this book.


BLURB

Isha Saene has perfected the act of balancing her life—a celebrated corporate negotiator spearheading an international trade deal that could catapult her country to one of the fastest growing mid-sized economies in Africa, and a loyal First Princess of Bagumi Kingdom set to seal ties with a neighbouring nation through marriage.

Until one careless moment knocks her carefully choreographed life into chaos.

Zain Bassong has always fought for the underdog—a patriot dedicated to fighting against the oppression of his people by the country's elite. He believes the pen is mightier than the sword and chooses the diplomatic route, no matter how many times he is arrested by the repressive regime.

Until devastating news triggers a chain reaction.

Isha and Zain are thrown together and their lives change. For better or worse? They will have to figure that out before it’s too late.



MY REVIEW 
The story starts about ten years in the past where Isha Saene, an impressionable college freshman disguised as a commoner, falls head over heels in love with a man ten years her senior. Fortunately for her, the feelings are mutual, and she starts a relationship with him. The fact that he’s a commoner and she has a state marriage in her future does not matter - until it does. Sadly, the fairytale doesn’t last and both are left with scars.

When they reunite ten years later, Isha is Zain’s captive, a pawn he intends to leverage to his advantage (for a good cause). However, nothing is what it seems and the both discover new things about their past that have huge implications for their future.

I enjoyed meeting Isha as a young girl, innocent and yet strong and passionate, and seeing her growth over the course of the story. Although Zain was much older at the start of the story, he also had some growing to do and lessons to learn.

Both Zain and Isha are well-rounded characters. Zain was definitely alpha, but Isha was a perfect match, and the passion between them sizzles. I enjoyed reading a romantic suspense with authentic portrayal of political and cultural issues in West Africa. Although that formed a good portion of the story, it didn’t overshadow the romance.

His Captive Princess is a great conclusion to the story of the princesses of Bagumi.

Click to view my review of His Defiant Princess by Nana Prah, book one of the Royal House of Saene series.

#BookReview: Avoiding Matthew By Caroline Bell Foster | #AvoidingMatthew #CarolineBellFoster

BLURB A kiss. A promise. A mistake.

Deaf, Special Operative Matthew Edwards, stumbled across Lacy where she wasn't supposed to be, while on an enforced vacation.

They’d never been able to stifle their sexual attraction and indulged every time their paths crossed. However, Matthew knew Lacy was working a dangerous mission outside of the bureau. But what? She was too soft and needed protecting from herself.

Lacy's secrets take her from America to Russia, to England, all the while with Matthew hot on her heels.

How could she avoid Matthew? Did she want to?

Lacy Dawson would rather spend her days experimenting with brownie recipes and trying on wedding dresses, than go on yet another secret mission to save her country. She needed a way out and found it.

MY REVIEW

I have mixed feelings about this review, because I embarked on the book expecting to really like it, but it was just okay for me. 

Is it well-written? Yes. Does it have twists and turns? Yes. Does it have sex? Yes, lots of it.

So what's the problem? 

Well...first of all, the first third or so of the book is seriously just Lacy and Matthew having sex everywhere, and Matthew being a meanie without justification in between. Yes, I see some of you still wondering what the problem is (ha!). I just like more 'story' to go with the sex scenes. In this case, there was very little story going on in the beginning, then not a lot of sex in the second half. Anyway, when the (rest of the) story really begins, there are a few surprises to keep the things moving along, but the rush I usually get from espionage and romantic suspense stories was missing.

I've already mentioned the hero being mean (IMO) without real justification - especially because he wasn't her superior in the agency. The other major thing that didn't quite gel for me was that the heroine was supposed to be a field operative, but (save for a few scenes), she really didn't come off that way. 

I got confused a few times with scenes involving the full cast of secondary characters. Although, some of them (Matthew's brothers, especially) were interesting enough that I did wonder about their stories (books 1 and 2 of the series).

By all indication, this was a book I should have thoroughly enjoyed (alpha hero, international setting, espionage and close calls with danger...), but something just didn't connect for me. 

That said, fans of the series or of the author are most likely to enjoy the book, because they may have already met Matthew in the previous books.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book, and this review is given voluntarily. 

#BookReview: Impostor Alert by Uduak Akpabio Umoren

BLURB
Two women meet on a bus heading for Lagos – one to continue her poor-paying job as a prostitute, and the other to visit a long-distance boyfriend. Both women discover that they share an uncanny resemblance and become fast friends. But before the end of that day, there will be a fatal crash. One woman will die and the other – following a case of mistaken identity – will impersonate her.

Gently navigating the chasm between the lives of the oblivious rich and desperately poor, Impostor Alert! is a finely wrought tale about grief, forgiveness, and redemption.

MY REVIEW

The "impersonation" theme is one I enjoy quite a bit in fiction, so when I read the blurb, I was eager to read the book. Plus, I love the cover!
The story follows Inyene who has had to make sacrifices to earn money for her family to survive following the death of her father. She dreams of a better life, but it seems life just isn't going to work out that way for her. A chance encounter, a tragedy and an honest case of mistaken identity thrust her into the kind of life she dreams of.Impostor Alert maintains a steady pace and provides enough twists and turns to keep you reading until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the impersonation theme in an African context. The characters were all interesting, even though a couple of them made me want to roll me eyes. The host of characters got a bit confusing at times, since I wasn't used to many of the names. However, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the story.
This is my first book by Uduak Akpabio Umoren, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

NB: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author, and I am giving my review voluntarily.

SPOTLIGHT: MindF*ck By Danyell A. Wallace | #MindF*ck #DanyellAWallace #HonMagPR

MINDF*CK BY DANYELL A. WALLACE
Clayton had it all: good looks, star soccer player, and the unlikeliest girl of his dreams. Life wasn't good. It was great. Until a family tragedy strikes and shatters Clayton's world as he knows it, along with his memory.

As Clayton struggles to put the pieces of his life back together, his beautiful, brown-skinned guardian angel with the wavy hair and soulful eyes is with him the entire way. But who is she? He may not know her name, but her face and the way she fills his heart are definitely unforgettable.

Find out what happens when life as you know it is turned inside out and you’re forced to put the pieces back together, one memory at a time.

Welcome to MindF*ck!
 AVAILABLE ON:AMAZON Add on Goodreads DANYELL A. WALLACE IS GIVING AWAY A
$25 AMAZON GIFT CARD & SIGNED COPY OF MINDF*CKa Rafflecopter giveaway


 LISTEN TO THE PLAYLIST ABOUT DANYELL A. WALLACEDanyell A. Wallace was born in Alaska and is currently living in Alabama. She’s a mom to three awesome kids, and a wife to an incredibly supportive husband. When she’s not using her imagination to write very adult, very sexy books, she’s reading, spending time with family and friends, watching football, and catching up on TV shows that she has saved on the DVR.
 CONNECT WITH DANYELL A. WALLACEFACEBOOK| TWITTER |INSTAGRAM| GOODREADS |PINTEREST| AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

SPOTLIGHT: Avoiding Matthew By Caroline Bell Foster | #AvoidingMatthew #CarolineBellFoster #HonMagPR

AVOIDING MATTHEW BY CAROLINE BELL FOSTER
A kiss. A promise. A mistake. 

Deaf, Special Operative Matthew Edwards, stumbled across Lacy where she wasn't supposed to be, while on an enforced vacation.

They’d never been able to stifle their sexual attraction and indulged every time their paths crossed. However, Matthew knew Lacy was working a dangerous mission outside of the bureau. But what? She was too soft and needed protecting from herself.

Lacy's secrets take her from America to Russia, to England, all the while with Matthew hot on her heels.

How could she avoid Matthew? Did she want to?
Lacy Dawson would rather spend her days experimenting with brownie recipes and trying on wedding dresses, than go on yet another secret mission to save her country. She needed a way out and found it.

AVAILABLE ON:AMAZON EXCERPTLacy pressed the gas and the car surged forward. A powerful engine under the guise of a rusty exterior. With one hand she managed to button up three buttons on her shirt, before seeing Matthew in the middle of the road, pointing a gun at her.

No doubt it would be her gun, she thought, pursing her lips.

Frowning deeply and knowing he would move, she kept going. Flooring the gas pedal.
She did up another button.


 His hair was shorter than the last time she had seen him, she thought, noticing the burnished red being picked up by her headlights. She went full beam.

 He didn’t squint as she thought he would.

 She watched as he spread his legs wider, aiming the gun at her head and she narrowed her eyes driving faster. He would move.

 Please move.

 Move!

 Move damn it!

 He didn’t.

 Lacy gasped, skidded out of control for a split second before pulling up the handbrake, gripping the steering wheel and spinning the car in the opposite direction.

 Matthew was lying motionless on his side in the middle of the road.

 “You idiot!” Lacy yelled frantically, coming to a stop and storming out of the car.

 Matthew had hit the hood hard, bumped up the windscreen to slide off the side. He’d frightened the life out of her. She watched as he lifted his head, shook it once then twice, before rolling over and hauling himself up.

 She catalogued his slow movements. He'd be sore in the morning, but otherwise, he was okay she thought charitably. Stupid man.

 “Matthew?!" Lacy yelled from a safe distance. If Matthew caught her now he would want answers. She wasn't giving him, or anyone else answers, and that included their mutual employer.

 “You hit me!” Matthew charged.

 “You shouldn’t have been in the middle of the road!” Lacy shot back.

 “You’re fucking crazy,” he wiped his nose with his arm, “do you know that? You could have killed me!”

 “Running you over is not the way I plan to kill you.” She answered, noticing his small but gaining steps. She edged to the door.

 “Oh yeah,” he smirked, he couldn’t see much of her, what with the headlights trained his way, but he could see enough. She’d buttoned her shirt up wrong and hadn’t got to the top buttons yet. He could see the golden slope of her breasts. Breasts he had held in his hands not half an hour ago. “And how do you plan to kill me?” he asked conversationally.She didn't answer but was looking down at her phone in her hand before throwing it into the car.

 “I’ll tell you another time,” she advised on a laugh. “Duty calls.” She told him, getting into her small car.

 Matthew jogged towards her vehicle, but she was already driving off. Matthew watched her go with a smirk and the biggest hard-on he’d had in half an hour.

 When she was at a reasonable distance, she stopped.

 Matthew waited with his arms crossed over his chest.

 “Have a hot shower babe!" she yelled at him on a laugh, before driving off.

 Matthew laughed and laughed even harder as he picked her gun from the asphalt. She'd be back for it, he knew.

 Until next time sweetheart, he thought with a smirk.
 CAROLINE BELL FOSTER IS GIVING AWAY A
$25 AMAZON GIFT CARDa Rafflecopter giveaway
OR CLICK HERE TO ENTERABOUT CAROLINE BELL FOSTER Caroline Bell Foster is an internationally bestselling, multi-award-winning British author of diverse romantic fiction. She is named as one of the most influential people in culture & entertainment in the East Midlands and also listed in the Top 100 Most Influential Creatives.

Caroline spent her formative years in the Caribbean, where her thirst for exploring other cultures began. Ever the adventurer, she bought her first pair of high heels in Toronto and traded her pink sunglasses for a bus ride in the Rift Valley, Kenya at 18.

With themes of substance, Caroline's latest novels' defy convention and celebrate modern day Britain with several titles set primarily in the East Midlands, where she shares her love for the three main cities and the surrounding ‘shires’ with her readers.

Caroline has come full circle and lives in Nottingham, England just twelve miles from where she was born. Married to her college sweetheart husband, David, they have two children and they are all ruled over by 17 year-old, rescue cat Naomi ‘Nay Nay Boo’.
 CONNECT WITH CAROLINE BELL FOSTERAUTHOR SITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | PINTEREST | NEWSLETTER | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

#Review: Til I Overflow by B. Love | #BLoveTilIOverflow #BLove #HonMagPR

She tried to fill him with love and drowned in the overflow.

It was ironic. Poetic Justice, maybe? Whatever the case, Rakeem Owens escaped the streets, and at his retirement party, his home was raided, and he was arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. After spending seven years in prison, he is given the opportunity of early release with two major stipulations – probation and volunteer work to give back to the community the Judge believed he took so much from. With no hesitation, Rakeem agrees, but when he finds out that he’ll be serving under Maliah Dixon… jail seems to be a better option.

It was karma. Fate, maybe? Whatever the case, Maliah Dixon is thrilled when she finds out Rakeem will be volunteering with her organization. She started it with her best friend before he went to jail, and it has been her main priority ever since. It was during a visit to see her best friend that she first set eyes on Rakeem, and now that he’s a free man, Maliah was sure there was nothing that would stand in the way of making Rakeem her man.

Rakeem’s heart has been closed and guarded for years, and it will take more than a pretty face and nice frame to soften him toward any woman. But Maliah is determined to not only fill him with her love but be cleansed in the overflow. There is one problem with both water and love, though. Both were soft enough to cleanse and give life yet hard enough to drown and destroy anyone or anything who stand in their way.


MY REVIEW

Maliah and Rakeem are like that high school couple everyone expects to stay together forever, because they have a once in a lifetime love that doesn't quit. Rakeem is a proud man, the kind who has certain ideas of what a man should do/be in relation to his woman. They both made some mistakes and life happened to them, which robbed them of so much time together. In the end, things worked, out and they finally accepted the happiness that was always theirs to take.

The story started out with some very emotional scenes, which made me prepare some tissue, just in case. However, the emotional roller-coaster I expect didn't happen. This was mainly because the story was really short, so the author had to skip chunks of time to get to the end. e.g. after the first couple of chapters the story skips to a year later, then seven years etc. It didn't give me the opportunity to fully connect with with the characters. There were a few issues, too, that the author could have explored with a longer story (fidelity, betrayal etc. - all very interesting nuggets) 

The writing is good, so I'll definitely be checking to see if the author has full-length novels I can sink my teeth into. 

If you're looking for a quick, sweet read, with a happy-ending, you're welcome to try this. 

Prah, Constantine and Baryeh Reviews: Maggie for Hire by Kate Danley | #PCBReviews

Hey, everyone. It's time for another 3-in-1 review from the review team of Prah, Constantine and Baryeh! (drumroll). We took a trip down paranormal lane with Maggie for Hire (Maggie MacKay Magical Tracker Book 1) by Kate Danley.

Here's the blurb
My name is Maggie MacKay. When monsters show up in Los Angeles, I get the call to haul 'em back to the dimension where they belong.

It's a living.

But I just got word my uncle has teamed up with the forces of darkness to ruin my life. Actually, everyone's lives. Everyone's gonna die if don't find a magical object before the coming apocalypse. This is going to make the next family reunion a little awkward.

Come along with me, my sidekick elf Killian, and my crazy family for a snarky urban fantasy adventure with attitude.

WARNING: This book contains cussing, brawling, and unladylike behavior. Proceed with caution.
My Review
I am not the biggest fan of urban fantasy, and I prefer to consume paranormals as movies or TV shows. However, this book did a good job of making the story relate-able by keeping things lighthearted with a spattering of wisecracks and dry humour that will garner a laugh from some readers (wisecracks and dry humour aren't my thing, but I did recognise that some of my friends would find their use in this book funny).
I really liked the fact that the heroine was kick-ass. Adding an elf (whom I imagined as Orlando Bloom in Lord of the Rings) as her sidekick was a definite plus.  I was hoping for some romantic elements between the heroine and the elf, especially since the author laid a lot of emphasis on the elf's beauty and effect on humans. Nevertheless, the interaction between them was nice. I hope the elf gets to do more action in subsequent books in the series. He came off as a bit of a wimp in this book, which wasn't too helpful to the heroine. For once, vampires were not portrayed as the most beautiful creatures on earth, which (to me) is a more authentic portrayal what vampires should really be.

Disclaimer: I bought my copy of this book from Amazon.

Don't forget to check out reviews of this book by my review partners Prah and Constantine.

#BlogTour: Ere's Secret, 223 Bonny Street, Queer and Sexy Collection | #FiriKamson #Eniitan #LoveAfricaPress #HonMagPR

ERE'S SECRET AND 223 BONNY STREET (ANTHOLOGY) BY FIRI KAMSON Two enchanting stories about loss and love:
In Ere’s Secret, Ere has a life-changing decision to make.
In 223 Bonny Street, Ikenna wakes to the joys and challenges of being a woman.
ERE’S SECRETI have a secret. In three days, I'll be turning forty, and I'm in love for the first time. Decades ago, I sacrificed my life for the good of my family. But tragedy struck too close to home, reminding me of the brevity of life. Now, I have a choice to make: continue living in the shadows, or allow my true self to emerge.
223 BONNY STREETAfter an accident, waking up in another person's body seems like a dream until Ikenna realizes that he is faced with the stark reality of Nkechi’s life, the woman whose body he occupies. He experiences the pains and joys, the strengths and sacrifices of a woman.
The two of them make a connection beyond the physical, but matters of the heart are delicate. When secrets from the past are revealed, will their connection be strong enough to survive?
AVAILABLE ON:LOVE AFRICA PRESS | OKADABOOKS | SMASHWORDS | WATERSTONES | AMAZON | KOBO | BARNES AND NOBLE  ABOUT FIRI KAMSONFiri has been an avid reader since she could read mostly because I caught the reading bug from my dad and mum. With reading Roots by Alex Harley and the Odessa file at 8, reading was her mode of escape.
Firi loves all fiction but enjoys being curled up under the duvet reading a hot sizzling romance novel when what being a mum, an adult, a wife, a sister and a daughter.
Writing this book has been a dream come true so I hope you’ll love it as much as I have love writing it. Please do not forget to leave a review on Amazon. You can follow me on for more updates on my incoming books.
Other interesting facts about Firi: she paints ceramic and glass mostly but everything can be her canvas so we would not be surprised seeing that she has painted a plane. You can find her paintings on her Instagram page.
Firi has always dreamt of becoming a pilot. Let’s see how this goes.
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM QUEER AND SEXY COLLECTION VOL. 1 BY ENIITAN Love Africa Press presents Volume One of its Queer and Sexy Collections exploring queer sensuality. In this debut edition of three Queer and Sexy interwoven stories written by Eniitan, we explore pleasure, desire, love, human nature and godhood. Follow the lives of Ufuoma, Larrie, Ariyike, Fausiat, Halimat and Uduak as they experience the magic that is the otherworldly Tara.
AVAILABLE ON:LOVE AFRICA PRESS | AMAZON - US | AMAZON - UK | OKADABOOKS | SMASHWORDS | BARNES AND NOBLE | KOBO 
ABOUT ENIITANEniitan lives in a world populated by Yoruba gods and non-binary human beings who take their pleasure as seriously as they take mischief making.
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM LOVE AFRICA PRESS IS GIVING AWAY $10/£10 AMAZON OR KOBO GIFT CARD OR NGN 5000 NAIRA OKADABOOKS CREDITa Rafflecopter giveaway

EXCERPT FROM LAST WEEKEND Ufuoma was the last off the plane. She had shunned her usual garb of comfortable jeans and tees and worn a cream skirt-suit that clung to her voluptuous figure like wet on water.

The cream showed off her dark skin, and to drive the point of her femininity home, she had the first three buttons of the white shirt open. Her bra pushed up the mounds of her breasts, leaving onlookers in no doubt of the gifts hidden underneath her clothes.
On her feet was a pair of heels, making her appear even taller.
She was determined to make the best of this long weekend away from her regular life.This would be her first time at an all-female party, and although Loretta had assured her that it would be fun, she was still a little anxious, so she fell into the default of looking extraordinarily good to boost her spirits.
One of the best things, and the worst, was her ability to ‘pass’ and be taken for a heterosexual, cis-gendered woman, but it also made her invisible to other queer women. A blessing and a curse in a country like Nigeria. She remembered her university days with a shudder. Those years she’d spent listening to ‘godly advice’ from classmates and lecturers about how she should stop hanging out with her more masculine-presenting friends, the rumours they felt comfortable sharing with her about how these women were all a bunch of lesbians and that she should avoid being inducted into the ‘cult of lesbianism.’
To worsen her situation, bonding with women was not her strong suit, maybe because she was not primarily attracted to men, not sexually or emotionally. She’d never felt invested in them enough to mind their vagaries; she could take them or leave them, without a backward glance. But with women—she was always so scared, had always been, of the different ways loving women could drive you to a point of madness, of how invested she became in their lives, their well-being. But most importantly of the powerful way a woman could break you … but that hadn’t stopped her from wanting them, loving them.

COVER REVEAL: Cherishing The Goddess by Lucy Eden | #CherishingTheGoddess #LucyEden #HonMagPR #CoverReveal

CHERISHING THE GODDESS BY LUCY EDEN Billionaire CEO Alexander Wolfe has spent years putting in 120-hour weeks in the office and adding zeroes to his net worth. But lately, work has left him feeling burnt out and uninspired. Then he is given the chance to go head-to-head with a legendary corporate raider and the man he’d idolized his entire career. He seizes the opportunity, immediately jumping on a plane for Barbados to close the deal in person. If he’s successful, it’ll be the biggest win of his career.

He had no way of knowing that meeting a mesmerizing beauty would have the power to derail everything...

Calypso Sterling has no time for men who value her beauty over her intellect. Instead, she focuses all her energy on her studies and career aspirations. But when her home—and a closely guarded family secret—is threatened, she’s ready to defend all she holds dear.

She had no way of knowing a handsome stranger had the power to take away everything she’d ever loved...

This standalone, workplace/ enemies to lovers romance features characters from Everything’s Better With Kimberly, is full of alphas and steam and has NO cheating.

This is the novelized, extended version of the previously published novella of the same name.
PRE-ORDERAPPLE | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT“Yes,” I replied curtly, “I’m his daughter. May we resume the meeting?”

“But you’re so,” he was mumbling under his breath, but I heard the sound of a “b” in the offing.

"Black," I said matter-of-factly. "Well spotted, Mr. Wolfe." I often got this type of reaction when I was out with Dad. I’d been mistaken for his girlfriend or mistress more times than I could count. It made him furious, but I always thought it was funny. I got a big kick out of calling him Daddy in public and watching people squirm uncomfortably.

“No!" Mr. Wolfe almost shouted. "I wasn't going to say that at all," he continued, stammering. "I was going to say… beautiful." His mouth snapped shut, and it was obvious that he couldn’t believe what he’d just said. Judging by the looks on everyone else's faces, they couldn’t believe it either. My father's face grew stern. His eyes narrowed into slits and he leaned forward—clearly not amused. The man sitting next to Mr. Wolfe wasn’t amused either. He also narrowed his eyes at him and gave him a confused, angry look.

I found myself slightly flushing at his declaration, and I was getting the feeling that maybe Alexander Wolfe didn’t know who I was when we met in the elevator. It tickled me that I might have had the upper hand after all. I decided to twist the knife.

“Okay.” I began. “We’ve established that I’m the daughter of Barnabas Sterling, I’m Black and, apparently, I’m also beautiful. Are we all caught up?” I looked around the room for effect, finally locking eyes with Alexander Wolfe himself and raising my eyebrows. He didn’t respond as I knew he wouldn’t. Our legal team was stifling smiles, and one of the opposing counsel coughed loudly to mask a titter of laughter.

“Wonderful.” I paused for dramatic effect. “We’re gathered here to satisfy an agreement. If one Barnabas Sterling,” I patted Dad’s hand, “agreed to meet in person with one Alexander Wolfe, then Wolfe Industries would abandon all pursuit of ownership of the property, The Sterling Beachfront Paradise and Resort, henceforth during these negotiations to be referred to as The Sterling. Are all parties in agreement with the terms of this meeting?” I scanned the room before settling on Mr. Wolfe’s face. He was staring at me as though I’d grown two heads. Finally, the pale blonde man sitting next to him nudged him which caused him to nod.

“We’ll need a verbal confirmation, Mr. Wolfe.” I smiled at him.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah. Yes.” He nodded again. The blonde man shook his head, his lips forming a thin tight line.

“Great, let the record show that all parties are in agreement.” I nodded again. “Mr. Wolfe, we’re listening.” I interlaced my fingers on the desk, tilted my head and jutted my chin forward in the universal I’m listening pose. He was still staring at me dumbfounded. The man sitting next to him that I now recognized as Matthew Widnicki, the head of the real estate division of Wolfe Industries, leaned forward, clearly annoyed by Wolfe's bizarre behavior.

"We're prepared to offer you twenty percent above the last offer with three years occupancy. During those three years, you will retain full rights as well as fifty percent of the profits.”
Our faces remained impassive.

"And," he added quickly, "we will retain all of The Sterling’s staff during the transition. You’re not going to get a better deal than that. That’s it. That’s our final offer.” He leaned back in his chair.
Dad and I turned to face each other. He gave me a small smile. I returned it. We turned to Mr. Widnicki with our game faces.

"We are rejecting that offer. Thanks for coming in, gentlemen." I gave them a warm, closed mouth smile. "Travel safe."

“What?” Mr. Widnicki said, his voice seething with anger. “That’s it?”

“I believe we’ve satisfied the terms of the agreement.”

“That agreement wasn’t in writing,” he countered. Matthew’s face, while pale compared to Alex’s tanned cast when the meeting began, was reddening with every passing second.

“You’re right. It wasn’t.” I whipped a file out of my portfolio and tossed it across the table along with a small black zip drive. “It was a verbal agreement entered into by my father’s personal secretary, Susan Jones and a…” I paused scanning my copy, “Margaret Watson, acting on behalf of your corporation. That’s the full transcript and an audio recording. I’m sure I don't have to tell you that it is legal and binding. I should also remind you that I reiterated the conditions of the meeting and Mr. Wolfe agreed. Shall I have the stenographer read them back to you?”

I indicated a person sitting in the corner in front of a small black stenotype. Mr. Widnicki looked at them in mild shock as if they’d just appeared in a puff of smoke.

"If you continue to pursue ownership of The Sterling, we would have to add breach of contract in addition to harassment." I took a deep breath and pushed myself up from my chair. "If there's nothing else, I think this meeting has officially ended. I'll leave you the room."

I quickly gathered my things and walked out. Dad and our lawyers were following closely behind. Alexander Wolfe’s eyes burned holes in me as I forced myself to take slow, deliberate steps because if I dared to look at him, I was sure I’d fall over. We turned the corner and entered the office of Dad's lead counsel. As soon as I heard the lock click, I began shaking from the adrenaline and sucking in deep breaths.
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ABOUT LUCY EDENLucy Eden is the nom de plume of a romance obsessed author who writes the kind of romance she loves to read. She’s a sucker for alphas with a soft gooey center, over the top romantic gestures, strong & smart MCs, humor, love, happily ever afters & of course, steamy love scenes.

When Lucy isn’t writing, she’s busy reading—or listening to—every book she can get her hands on— romance or otherwise.

She lives & loves in New York with her husband, two children, a turtle & a Yorkshire Terrier.
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When girls get together | #LAPLoveNotes #ExpectingTysBaby #WeekendReads

Happy Friday! I hope you've had a wonderful week and are gearing up for a fun or relaxing weekend. You probably have plans of hanging out with your girls/buddies and just letting loose. Let me start you off with a  #LoveNotes post.


In this snippet, my heroine, Patricia, meets up with her best friend, Naaki, and well...you know what happens when girl meet.

Enjoy!

While surveying the selection, Patricia couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Ty stayed over last night.”
Naaki grinned as though she’d expected that.

“Aw, shut up,” Patricia said, which earned an even bigger grin from Naaki.

“Did you two…you know?”

“Is sex the only thing you think about these days?” Patricia rolled her eyes. “Yes, we ended up in bed together.”

Naaki chuckled as she went for the salad. “And?” She looked at Patricia. “Come on, you’re usually more forthcoming with details.”

Patricia hesitated before blurting out, “This morning he asked me to marry him.”

“Ooh, that good, huh?”

***
I hope you enjoyed the snippet. Leave me a comment.
Read Chapter 1 or grab your copy of Expecting Ty's Baby  HERE .

Check out the other writers sharing LAP Love Notes.