Enter to Win 1 of 3 Digital copies of Seaside Whispers by Melissa Foster
Releasing
May 9, 2017
World Literary Press
World Literary Press
In Bayside Desires (Bayside Summers #1) by Melissa Foster, the only choice Desiree Cleary could make was to go to Cape Cod after receiving a mysterious letter from her estranged mom. But when the letter is all a lie and instead her mother takes off, leaving Desiree and her half-sister Violet to run their mother's art gallery, Desiree decides to stay and help, despite having the desire to return home and get on with her life. Yet, when she meets Rick Savage, she finds herself having the best Summer ever. Except both know they only have the Summer to enjoy each other's company, but when it's time to leave, will they go their separate ways or make the best decision they've ever made to make their relationship a permanent one?
What a fantastic read Ms. Foster has penned in this first book of her Bayside Summers series, which I believe is this authors best book yet due to the fast-paced plot, the main and secondary characters, and the mix of intense and teasing dialogue all meshing together nicely to make a very entertaining story. The way this book started had me sympathizing with the heroine, as she's not close to her mother, and when she learns that her mother tricked her into coming to Cape Cod, I could understand why she reacts the way she does. Even though there are reasons why she should stay such as wanting a closer relationship with her sister, getting to know Rick and being able to hold onto a house that means so much to her; a house that held good memories for her.
Both the main characters were captivating due to their back stories and their growing relationship. The hero hasn't really dealt with the death of his father, and I liked how Desiree helps him find the strength to finally confront the past and overcome the challenge of again being able to do the recreation they were doing when Rick's dad died. I also liked that he finally stopped running from the past and finally have the talk with his family that he should have had years ago, since they've all managed to move on from their dad's death while Rick is still being held back by it, because he hasn't dealt with his guilt and his grief.
While the heroine, she has serious abandonment issues because of the relationship she has with her mother. However, I liked how strong and brave she was and how she stood up to her mother when the woman was in the wrong, which was at all times. Since again, her mother doesn't know how to stay in one place too long. Yet, what I liked most about the heroine was how she was willing to try new things and the bonding time she spent with her sister, Violet, who was a real hoot that said whatever she wanted and tried to get her sister to lighten up. Desiree was a tad naïve and a bit of a prude compared to her sister, and that's what made their bonding fun, as Violet introduced and encouraged her to do things she wouldn't normally do, especially in her mom's personal exploration shop.
Overall, Ms. Foster has penned a fabulous read in this book where the sex scenes were fan-your-face hot and illustrated how these two couldn't keep their hands off each other really well. The way this story ended was wonderful, as Rick made a huge decision that showed how much he wanted to be with Desiree. Then again, they had so much chemistry and love for each other, so there was no way these two would have been able to stay apart for long. Moreover, I liked the surprise Rick had for Desiree towards the end, because he wanted the moment to be perfect. I would recommend Bayside Desires by Melissa Foster, if you enjoy the friends to lovers trope, small town romances or books by authors Roxanne St Claire, Bella Andre, Jaci Burton or Kristen Proby.
BLURB
As the co-owner of
Bayside Resorts, Rick Savage has a fabulous job working with his best friends
and brother, and a thriving business in Washington, DC, which he’ll be
returning to at the end of the summer. Spending time with his family is great,
but being back on Cape Cod has unearthed painful memories. When sweet, smart,
and overly cautious Desiree Cleary moves in next door, Rick is drawn to the sexy
preschool teacher, and she just might prove to be the perfect distraction.
Running an
art gallery was not in preschool teacher Desiree Cleary’s plans, but after
being tricked into coming to her impetuous, unreliable mother’s aid, she’s
stuck spending the summer with the badass half sister she barely knows and a
misbehaving dog. If that’s not frustrating enough, she can’t escape the sparks
igniting with her strikingly handsome and pushy neighbor, Rick, who makes all
her warning bells go off.
Passion
ignites as Desiree and Rick spend long summer nights sharing heartfelt
confessions and steamy kisses. For the first time in years Rick is enjoying
life again instead of hiding behind mounds of work miles away from his family.
Desiree has touched him in a way that makes him want to slow down. Only slowing
down means dealing with his demons, and he isn’t sure who he’ll be when he
comes out the other side.
Oh shit. Rick Savage beached his craft, threw his life vest onto the
sand, and ran after the woman he’d soaked. He’d been so captivated by the
curvaceous blonde that when she’d started to leave, his first instinct had been
to stop her. He’d clearly lost his mind. He knew better than to come that close
to the jetty or to fishtail near people.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, jogging over as she stepped off the
rocks and onto the beach.
She turned, mouth gaping, strands of wet hair stuck to her
cheeks, forehead, and shoulders. The most beautiful green eyes stared back at
him in shock and horror. He felt like a total ass.
“I’m sorry. I saw you watching me, and—” There was absolutely no
excuse for what he’d done, so he went with the truth, no matter how bad it
sounded. “I wanted to meet you before you took off.”
“I wasn’t watching you.” Her eyes darted around them, as if
someone else might hear her lying.
He cocked a brow.
“Okay, maybe I was for a second. But you were stalking me.”
She swiped at her sundress, which clung to her incredibly sexy body like a
second skin.
He tried not to leer, but damn…
Forcing his eyes up, he said, “I wasn’t stalking you—”
Her deadpan stare stopped him from telling his own lie.
“Okay, fine,” he said with a laugh. “I was. You caught me. I’m
sorry.”
“Does this usually work for you? Drenching unsuspecting women?”
she said with a hint of annoyance, and a smile, as she shook the water from her
arms. “Not that I’m an expert on being hit on, but it doesn’t seem like the
best way to go about it.”
“I’m sure you get hit on all the time, but this wasn’t planned.
It was a stupid mistake. It’s actually illegal to go that fast near the jetty,
so you can have me arrested if you’d like. I wasn’t thinking. I was—”
She arched a brow, a slight smirk playing across her beautiful
face as she tossed his mannerism right back at him.
He felt himself smiling. Man, this woman was as sweet as she was
spunky. “What can I say? If you weren’t so hot…”
“So, it’s my fault?” She rolled her eyes. “You
really do kind of suck at picking up women.”
The caveman in him grunted, and he squared his shoulders. “I
don’t suck at it. I’m actually really good at it. A pro. A master. A champion.”
She laughed. “Sorry, but…” She waved at her wet clothes.
“Evidence proves otherwise.”
And I’m about to prove that evidence wrong. “Let me buy you a sweatshirt and
something warm to drink at Mac’s so you don’t freeze.” Mac’s was a walk-up
restaurant by the Wellfleet Pier, a five-minute drive by car. Less by Jet Ski.
Her eyes rolled over his face, as if she were considering it.
He’d never had anything close to a poker face, which meant she saw his
remorse and his attraction. At six two, two thirty, he was a
big dude, and he kept in prime shape with running and water sports. He was used
to women ogling him and practically doing cartwheels to get his attention. She
drew in a deep breath, her eyes dropping to his bare chest, and she bit her
plump lower lip. “Sexy” didn’t begin to describe the dichotomy of sweet and
sultry this woman possessed. But she wasn’t doing cartwheels. In fact, those
hungry eyes shifted away from him.
“It’s okay,” she said. “I was getting ready to leave anyway.”
She was blowing him off? There was no way he was letting her leave
without doing something to make up for this debacle. Okay, maybe he also wanted
to strip away those wet clothes and warm her up. But that was beside the point.
“Are you staying at a cottage on the beach? I can give you a
ride on my Jet Ski.”
“As tempting as that sounds, since I’ve never been on one, I
have my car.” She pointed to the parking lot with the hand that held her phone,
and her smile faded. “Oh, shoot. My phone got wet.”
“I can take care of that.” He took it from her and wiped it on
his shorts. She watched his hands, his biceps, his pecs, his shorts,
with laser focus. His fish wasn’t off the line yet. “It should be okay now.
Want me to put my number in your contacts? In case you change your mind about
that drink?”
That brought a curious smile. He noticed the cutest dimple
beside her mouth when she smiled. “Does that usually work?”
“No idea. I haven’t had to use that line before.”
He stepped closer, unable to resist brushing a lock of hair that
was stuck to her cheek away from her face so he could see her better. Their
eyes connected, and the temperature spiked. She must have felt it, too, because
she was licking her lips like a hungry tigress. In the next breath, her eyes
darted nervously around the beach. Christ, now she looked sweet and innocent.
How did she do that in the blink of an eye? Rick was only at the Cape for a few
more weeks, working on renovations at the resort before returning to his real life,
and design-build business, in Washington, DC. The thoughts running through his
mind were not sweet and innocent. He should let his apology
ride, get on his Jet Ski, and drive away. But she had his rapt attention, and
he was unable to walk away.
“You don’t have to use my number,” he said. “But you never know.
Maybe when you’re lying in bed tonight, unable to stop thinking about me,
you’ll wish you had it.”
Her cheeks flushed, and those sparkling green eyes moved over
his face and down his chest again, lingering long enough to send a stroke of
heat to his core.
“Why not?” she said, surprising the hell out of him. “Go ahead
and put your number in my phone…?”
“Rick.” He entered his contact information and handed it back,
curling his fingers over hers and holding them for a beat.
Her eyes flicked up, dark and alluring. “I’m Desiree,” she said
a little breathlessly.
Oh yeah, you feel it, too.
Melissa Foster is a New
York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author.
She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance
with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn
the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always
family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy
reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.
I think I'm really going to like this book from the excerpt. Adding to my long TBR list.
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