Publication Date: October 23rd 2018
Pages: 125
About the book:
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby comes a new story in her Big Sky series…
Brooke’s
Blooms has taken Cunningham Falls by surprise. The beautiful,
innovative flower shop is trendy, with not only gorgeous flower
arrangements, but also fun gifts for any occasion. This store is Brooke
Henderson’s deepest joy, and it means everything to her, which shows in
how completely she and her little shop have been embraced by the small
community of Cunningham Falls.
So, when her landlord dies and
Brody Chabot saunters through her door, announcing that the building has
been sold, and will soon be demolished, Brooke knows that she’s in for
the fight of her life. But she hasn’t gotten this far by sitting back
and quietly doing what she’s told. Hustle is Brooke’s middle name, and
she has no intention of losing this fight, no matter how tempting
Brody’s smile -- and body -- is.
My Thoughts:
I just love a story of best friends turning into more, especially
when the two have quietly longed for more.
Brooke and Brody were best friends in high school until Brody’s homelife
made him feel ending his friendship with Brooke was for the best. Brody moved
away from Cunningham Falls, but never forgot Brooke just as she’s never forgot
him. Now years later, Brody is back in town to sell the business property
Brooke is renting for her burgeoning flower shop. Brooke proposes an offer: stay and see how her
business works, the happiness she brings to clients, and if he still wants to
sell, then so be it.
Along the way Brooke and Brody rediscover the friendship
they left behind, remember all the feelings buried away and start to fall all over
again.
Being a friends-to-lovers novella, Kristen Proby did an
excellent job laying a strong foundation for Brooke and Brody’s romance. They
already have a history of unrequited love going in that’s highlighted, so was
easy to get invested in their HEA.
3.5 Suns
Excerpt:
“Let’s go.” He
signals for our waitress, pays the tab, and leads me out to the car. I drive us
to my house where his car is waiting for him, quiet the whole way.
What is there to
say? We just admitted to loving each other yesterday, and now he’s leaving.
It sucks. And I
don’t know what this means for us.
When I pull into my
driveway, I immediately get out of the car and march inside my house, opening
windows and doors to get a cross breeze going.
This is the first
time I can say that I hate my house. I should have installed the fucking air
conditioning.
“Stop,” Brody says
softly. He’s standing in the middle of my living room, his hands in his
pockets, watching me with tormented eyes.
“What?”
“Stop this. You’re
running about here like mad, and you just look pissed off. We need to talk
about this.”
I feel my shoulders
fall in defeat. “I don’t mean to sound like a bitch here, Brody, but I’m not
sure what there is to talk about. You’re leaving, and I’m here. So, thanks? It
was fun? Have a nice life?”
“Are you assuming
that I’m never coming back?”
“No, you have a
building here, so I guess you’ll be back now and then.”
“I’m coming back,”
he insists and pulls me to him, lowering his mouth to mine in one of his Olympic-style kisses. “I can’t give you a
timeline, but I am coming
back.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t believe
me.”
I sigh. “It’s not
that I don’t believe you. I think you want to come back. But you have a job, and a life, and so do
I. So, I just think it’s going to be hard.”
“I don’t just have a
job, I own the firm.”
“You do?”
“Yes. So, I have
some things to get in order, but it’s not impossible.”
“Owning the firm
only complicates things,” I argue, shaking my head.
“It’s not forever,”
he promises, then checks his phone. “And I’d better go. I have to pack my
things at the hotel and turn in my car before my flight in just over two
hours.”
I stare at him, and
I want to beg him to
extend his trip one more day. One more week.
But I can’t do that.
He’s already done so much for me by staying this past week.
“I didn’t realize
you were leaving so early in the day.”
Do not get needy, Brooke. No one likes that.
“I’m sorry,
sweetheart.” He kisses me once more, and I know this kiss is goodbye.
Whether it’s goodbye
for now, or goodbye for good, only time will tell.
“Be safe.”
He smiles and frames
my face. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
One more forehead
kiss, and Brody is out the door. I don’t watch as he pulls out of my driveway
and away from my house.
Watching him go just
seems like torture.
About Kristen Proby:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.
Connect with Kristen Proby:
