Hotshot Mogul

Cocky Hero Club

by Tara Eldana

Annaleise - I must stop hotshot developer Bruce Clynes from cutting down the trees, especially the oak tree, in the glade he owns near Lake Michigan. The oak tree has grown there and has been my home for over 300 years. I only have five days as a human in a woman’s body before I must resume my existence as a tree spirit in the oak tree or be stuck in this human body.

Nope, nothing weird is happening here. It gets worse. Bruce and I walked the earth together in this glade when it was New France some 400 years ago. It ended horrifically with his slaughter before my eyes. My paralyzing grief over his death and losing his baby propelled me to my life as a joyous tree spirit.

I want him and he wants me. But, I must fight our consuming passion and stay focused on stopping him. He would never believe me if I told him about our pasts that he has no memory of…and what I truly am, would he?

My body comes alive at his touch. He is determined that I stay and determined he will cut down the trees. And I must stop him. I will stop him any way I can.

200 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 2025

About the author

Tara Eldana is a recently retired, multi-award-winning staff writer for a weekly community newspaper chain in metro Detroit. She became hooked on romance fiction when her eleventh grade English teacher rejected the book report she wrote, saying the book was too easy for her, and insisting she read and report on Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca."

After complications after surgery 10 years ago, and covering numerous murder trials and other crime stories on her beat, she decided to write what she loves to read - stories with happy endings.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hotshot Mogul is the first book I've read from new to me author Tara Eldana and I will admit I had a little bit of trouble getting into it at first. Not my usual genre, so that may have had something to do with that, but once I got a little deeper into it, I really did like it!! I also didn't read the blurb before I signed up but I'm not sorry. I really liked Annaleise and Bruce together and yes it touches on past lives, and fairies and that kinda thing but it was good, so I'm gonna let you go in blind like me, or you can read the blurb, but I am recommending this book because in the end I just couldn't put it down and had to find out what happens!!

[Nathalie DeSousa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual type of book, but I truly and fully enjoyed the book. I went in with an open mind, and ended loving the idea of past lives, fairy, and soulmates. The plot is beautiful, dusted with magic in a way that takes you from the past to the present/future seamlessly. The pain of losing your soulmate and a child has shaped Annaleise into a tree spirit. But the man she loved and lost is now Bruce the hotshot mogul, that wants to cut the tree she inhabits.

Talk about a plot that mixes magic, pain, loss, grief, and love in the most sublime form. A great book!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author to me, and I must admit I struggled a tad to get into this story at first as this is not normally a genre I would read, and I went into this story blind, however, Bruce and Annaleise’s journey kept me intrigued throughout.
This is a well written story which has soulmates, time travel, different worlds, impossible love, emotions, and is a second chance romance.
I look forward to reading more from this author whose work I recommend.

[Lauren Meuer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't fully read the description before ready but I was happily surprised. It took a little while to fully get into the book but once I did I loved getting to know and feel the characters more! If you are looking for a different type of story to read that is still a romance I highly recommend this book!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Loralie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this blind, so I was surprised that this one had a little supernatural vibe. We were treated to both past and future scenarios. I loved that Anneliese was able to find her true love after losing him in a difficult way. Her path to peace after loss is being taken away from the future version of her true love. I loved Anneliese's sayings and her trying to adapt to the world in the present with only a limited amount of time. I loved that Bruce was able to feel something different for Anneliese, even though he was unsure of what it was. I really enjoyed this story even though it wasn't a typical read for me.