Curses. To believe or not to believe…
Violet Anderson believed.
How could she not when the proof was right in front of her? And her curse … well, it meant that, like her mother and older sisters, she was doomed to spend her life pining for a man who would undervalue her.
Not that she would allow that to happen. She’d never met a man worth pining for.
Then Simon Jennings walked into her bookstore. Aside from being hot enough to put her brain on the fritz, the man was not her type. He was one of those nice guys—the kind who opened doors and didn’t try to cop a feel during a simple goodnight kiss. Since the curse ensured nice guys would never fall in love with her, Violet knew her best bet was to stay as far from him as she could.
Too bad Simon didn’t get the memo.
When Simon’s charm proves too powerful to resist, Violet gives in to the undeniable chemistry. After all, it’s not like she would fall in love with a handsome stranger after one night, right?
While Violet is part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone.
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Excerpt
©Nicole Edwards 2024
No one other than the rows and rows of books that filled the rows and rows of shelves in her small bookstore, that was.
“I mean, come on. I have stuff to do. Real stuff. Like job stuff.”
While the podcast played, Violet continued to run the Swiffer over the spines and tops of the books as she did every couple of days, keeping her pride and joy, aka Shelf Help, neat and tidy. Up until two months ago, she’d handled her daily chores with an audiobook to keep her entertained because she hadn’t known what a podcast even was. Well, technically, that wasn’t true. She’d heard of podcasts but had never bothered to venture into that world due to her preference for fictional storytelling.
Boy, had she been missing out.
Now, here she was, hanging on to every word, envisioning the scenes being painted in her head by the sexy hum of that voice through her earbuds. It was the best time of day for her to enjoy her favorite true-crime podcast—an obsession she’d developed recently thanks to Holt Callahan, the bastard.
For weeks, Violet had been consuming them the same way she consumed books: raptly and without apology. She spent her afternoons taking care of menial chores since the store was mostly empty—or completely, as was the case now—while these new types of stories played, drawing her in, captivating her with their insight and revelation.
“Like I can really afford another obsession.” She shook her head and sighed, weaving her way toward the front.
The elementary school would be letting out in about an hour, which meant in an hour and a half, the store would be overrun with six- to nine-year-olds on the hunt for their next favorite read because today was “Even Swap” day. She’d dedicated the first Friday of every month to this day, and it was a hit with the community. The rule was if you brought in one book, you could hand it over and walk out with another from one of the shelves she’d dedicated to the program. Provided you were a student at Coyote Ridge Elementary. And fine, she’d made a concession or two for students in neighboring towns since word had filtered into those communities. Who was she to stop kids from reading?
It helped tremendously that she had a whole slew of young cousins whose parents were diligent about donating their gently used books to the cause.
Setting her Swiffer duster on the counter, she plucked her earbuds out. Last but not least, she needed the multipurpose cleaner so she could—
“Holy shit!” Clutching her hand to her chest, Violet tried to stop her heart from escaping through her ribcage. “For fucks sake, Holt. Warn a girl, would ya?”
Holt Callahan smiled. “I thought you knew I was here. That’s what the bells are for, right?”
“How would I know that?” she countered hotly, fisting her AirPods and thrusting her hand in his direction. “You scared the shit outta me.”
“Holt, man. Come on. You shouldn’t be doin’ that.”
The voice that came from behind her had Violet spinning, another startled scream escaping.
“Mother of dragons!” she hissed, once again clutching her chest.
“Sorry,” the man said, although the devilish smirk on his face told her he was anything but.
Violet frowned, tempted to blast him with her outrage, but she didn’t make a habit of dressing down customers. It wasn’t good for business, after all.
Holt cleared his throat. Or maybe that was a cough meant to cover up a laugh. “Violet Anderson, I’d like you to meet Simon Jennings. Simon, Violet.”
Violet cast a death ray stare in Holt’s direction. “You know this guy?”
His smile was slow and devious. “And now you do, too.”
“So you’re not a customer?” she asked Simon.
“I could be.” That devilish grin remained firmly planted.
“But not at the moment?”
A whisper of confusion—or maybe amusement—shifted through his expression. “I guess, technically, I’m not.”
“Are you an author?” She tilted her head toward Holt. “Like him?”
“Nobody’s an author like me,” Holt said with a laugh.
“No,” Simon answered.
“Okay, good.” Violet stabbed a finger in his direction. “Don’t sneak up on me! Ever. Understood?”
His smile returned. “Yes, ma’am. Noted for the future.”
She stared at the newcomer and realized he was holding out his hand. For some insane reason, she felt compelled to shake it lest be rude. His much bigger fingers engulfed hers and she was surprised to find they were rougher than she imagined they would be.
Upon first glance, Violet would’ve cataloged Holt’s friend the same way she did Holt Callahan, dumping him right into the preppy column. Maybe it was the perfectly messy hair, the sharp blade of his nose, or the scruff that lined his perfectly shaped chin. Or—more than likely—it had to do with the jeans that cost more than jeans should cost and a polo that had likely only ever been dry-cleaned.
Neither man was the type she expected to see in her small town. Most of the men around these parts wore Wranglers and Stetsons with belt buckles the size of the great state they lived in. Their boots showed years of abuse, and their beards only saw a proper shave when Cletus Johnson or his son Clive—at the barber shop next door—got their clippers after them.
She’d bet money that Simon’s haircut cost upwards of three hundred dollars, and that scruff on his jaw was maintained daily. He probably manscaped, too.
Not that she cared enough to find out. Definitely not. The best part about this guy was that he was absolutely, 100% not her type.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Simon drawled.
That silky twang directly contradicted the outer wrapping, which made Simon Jennings a conundrum wrapped in … yumminess.
Not her type of yumminess. Absolutely not. He was much too … nice to be a guy she would date. Now, if he’d eyeballed her like a tiger would raw meat, perhaps she would’ve thought so. Maybe if he said something vulgar or belched, she would swoon and think about what fast food joint she wanted to have for dinner. That was the type of guy she was drawn to. The bad boy who would undervalue her and be on his merry way when she refused to screw him after chowing down on McBurgers and fries.
Another way to look at it was, given a choice from a lineup of men, with one being a billionaire philanthropist, one being a sweet school teacher, and one being an ex-con with no job and no prospects for one, she would undoubtedly pick the ex-con.
Not by choice, mind you. Unfortunately, it was the family curse.
Taking a deep breath and trying to compose herself, Violet pasted on her customer service smile. “Likewise.”
Not your type, she reminded her traitorous body, which was reacting oddly to the gleam in his blue eyes. Or were they green? Or gray A mixture of all three? And what about his hair? It wasn’t quite brown and definitely not blond. Somewhere in between?
Nope. She didn’t care about his eyes or his hair or the dimples that formed when he smiled.
Taking her hand back, Violet turned to Holt. “So what brings you in? Comin’ to check out the new releases? Because I can tell you right now, an author I know didn’t release one this week despite everyone flocking in to see if he did.”
“I’m working on it. Promise.”
That was the same thing he said every time she made a comment in hopes of getting him to release his next bestseller early. She tended to lean toward romance as her genre of choice but ever since she started reading Holt’s bestselling mystery thrillers, her eyes were opened to a whole new world. Kinda like the podcasts.
Holt glanced at Simon. “I told you she had sass.”
Continue reading on Nicole's website here: https://nicoleedwards.me/by-series/the-coyote-ridge-universe/violet/
Do you believe in Curses? Violet Anderson is convinced that her family is cursed in the Love Department. Because of that, she will never find someone to spend her life with, and she will just be a cat mom.
In walks Investigative Journalist - Podcaster Simon Jennings. Not only is his voice sexy, but so is the man. Violet doesn't believe she has any chance of happiness with Mr. Nice Guy, so why bother trying? Well, he has other ideas because the attraction he feels for the bookstore owner is unlike anything that's happened to him before.
Violet and Simon have fantastic chemistry and will leave you breathless after their sexcapades. I love the way Nicole Edwards gives readers not only the story of the main couple but also little snippets of what will come next in this series and others. I, for one, cannot wait to see how things unfold with the disappearance of Kylie Walker's mom, Meredith Prescott, all those years ago.
This story has many cameos due to Violet's overprotective family, so if you haven't read the Brantley Walker: Off the Books Series yet, it may contain some spoilers.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy STEAMY Contemporary Romances, Family Saga Romances, or Small-Town Romances.
Happy Reading!!!
**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books**
About the Author:
Nicole lives in Texas with her husband and their youngest of 3 children. The two older ones have ventured out in the world on their own. She has a beautiful granddaugther and a rather spoiled grand-puppy.. Oh, she and Colt also have four dogs. Most of the time, you can find her hiding in my writing cave. If she's not there, she's probably hanging out with the family, reading, or watching hockey and football. One thing for sure... Nicole is always trying to have fun.
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*Book Teasers and Excerpt are the property of Nicole Edwards
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