Saturday, July 8, 2023

Beginning of Forever by Catherine Bybee Book Spotlight!


 

 

Catherine Bybee’s latest book in the D’Angelo Series, Beginning of Forever recently released on June 27, 2023. To help celebrate the release, I have info and an excerpt of the book as well as where you can purchase down below. Catherine writes engaging and romantic stories of not just the hero and heroine, but also involving family and friends. If you have not read anything from her yet, I encourage you to check out this book and the rest in the series!




 


From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes the story of two wine enthusiasts who ride the ups and downs of love in the vineyards of Tuscany.

Tasting wine is not enough: sommelier Giovanni D’Angelo wants to create it. To put his family first, he’s always deferred his dreams—a vineyard to run, a woman to marry. But a three-week vineyard tour in Italy could set him back on track.

For Emma Rutledge, wine is in her blood. Intent to run the family wine business one day, she finds that the men in her family are only intent to push her out of it. But that’s fine—she’s got a plan.

When Gio and Emma meet on a wine tour in Tuscany, their shared aspirations fuel an undeniable chemistry. Returning home to California, they work toward setting up Emma’s vineyard and a label of their own. But when Emma receives a life-altering diagnosis, she worries it’s all been for nothing.

As Emma works to cement her family legacy while dealing with this unexpected challenge, Gio tries to convince her that their future isn’t just wine.


It’s each other. 


 

 

EXCERPT:

And when Gio paused long enough to shove some food into his mouth, his mother offered a sweet smile and tapped her fingers on the table.

“You’ve said nothing about Emma.”

Gio chewed slowly and looked around the table.

Everyone was quietly watching him.

He slowly swallowed with a grin and followed it with a drink of water. “What do you want to know?”

Mari lost her smile. Slapped a hand on the table. “What do I want to know?” She rolled her eyes, lifted a hand in the air, and switched to Italian. “For an hour you’ve talked about everyone but the woman you introduced us to.”

“C’mon, Gio . . . give it up,” Chloe said, kicking him under the table.

“Hey.”

“Is she your girlfriend?” Franny asked without hesitation.

Gio winked at his niece. “Emma is someone I hope you will all meet very soon.”

“Bene, bene . . .” His mother was smiling again.

“I won’t say she’s a girlfriend, but we are more than friends.”

Mari’s smile fell to a flat line. “Why not a girlfriend?”

“Mama, we’ve only known each other a few weeks.”

“This means nothing to me. When you know, you know.” Mari swirled spaghetti with her fork. “Your father and I—”

“Yes, Mama, we know. Instant love, marriage, and babies. It isn’t like that nowadays.”

Brooke cleared her throat and placed a hand on her protruding baby bump. “I disagree.”

Dante laughed. “It took Chloe and I more time.”

Mari tossed around gestures with her free hand. “You were childhood friends. That’s different. And since you eloped without a whisper to the family, something must have been instant. Not that I want you to share.”

Dante stood down.

Smart man.

“This Emma is beautiful, and the way you smiled at her . . .”

“It was sappy adorable, Gio,” Chloe said in agreement with their mother.

He was infatuated with the woman, there was no pretending otherwise. “Her guard is up a bit. She’s been married before.”

“Children?” Mari asked.

“No, Mama. But when someone is divorced it takes a little longer to trust.”

All eyes turned to Luca. The only person at the table who had any personal authority on the subject.

Gio waited for his brother to agree.

Instead, Luca placed a hand over Brooke’s at the table and shook his head. “Not when you find the right person.”

Gio rolled his eyes. “It still takes time.”

“Wasting time, you mean,” his mother said.

Gio spread his hands to each side of the table, indicating his sister and brother. “Mama, two weddings in one year . . . isn’t that enough?”

“No,” she said flat out. “My youngest son still isn’t married. There is still room at this table. So, no. It’s not enough. When you’re married, it will be enough.”

“It’s a trap, Gio,” Dante said.

Chloe hit his arm.

“Not marriage . . . the enough part. Soon as you’re married the question switches to babies.”

The two things Emma said she didn’t want.

“Oh,” Chloe sighed. “That’s true.”

“None of this when you meet Emma. We don’t talk about my lack of being a husband or anyone’s biological clock. I don’t want anyone scaring her off.”

“What’s a biological clock?” Franny asked.

Dante started laughing.

“I mean it!” Gio pointed his fork at his sister and mother.

“She means something to you,” Luca said quietly.

Gio paused, thought of her smile, her laugh. The freckles on her face and how crazy her hair turned in the humidity. “Yeah. She does.”

“Then we will do our best to keep our opinions about weddings and babies to ourselves. Don’t you think, Mama?” Luca asked.

Mari released a deep sigh. “Fine. I can do that.”

Gio felt the tension in his shoulders ease.

Franny leaned over, tapped his arm. “What’s a biological clock?”

 

 

About the Author


Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total she has written thirty-nine beloved books that have collectively sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages. 

Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned the Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series. Learn more about Catherine and her books at www.catherinebybee.com 

 

 

 

BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon | B&N | IndieBound Books-a-Million






Join the Addiction:

My Blog: | Twitter | BlogLovin’ | Facebook

Thursday, June 1, 2023

You Look Beautiful Tonight by L.R. Jones




 

Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Source: Author/Publisher

 

Synopsis:

 

A secret admirer’s devotion turns deadly in a twisting novel of psychological suspense.

Mia Anderson is an invisible woman. An unremarkable thirty-two-year-old Tennessee librarian, she’s accustomed to disappearing in a crowd, unseen and unheard. Then she receives an anonymous note: You look beautiful today.

It doesn’t stop there. The attentive stranger—a secret admirer named Adam—has plans for Mia. With each new text comes a suggestion for her hair, clothes, or attitude, and for the first time in memory, Mia feels noticed. Slowly, she develops a confidence in herself she’s never had. But Adam has a surprise coming…and Mia finally sees him for who he is and what he’s prepared to do for her. Even kill.

Fearing she could be implicated in the murder, Mia’s forced to turn to the stranger in the shadows watching her every move. Adam’s game of cat and mouse begins with Mia as the prey. In order to survive, she must also become the predator.



******

 

Mia is an interesting character. She tends to overthink things and in most cases those thoughts tend to be negative and reflect her insecurities. Mia’s two close friends Jack and Jess are complete opposites but are obviously care about Mia a lot in their own way. 

 

This is a slow burn story. 40% into the book and nothing exciting had happened. Unless you count a couple of mystery notes from a possible stalker. Even though it took a bit before the story hit its stride, I was still engaged in the story and the characters. I enjoy a good mystery, so when Mia started getting mysterious notes, I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. I wasn’t a fan of how some of the things played out in the last big scene, however I was surprised by the ending. This was not my most favorite book by this author, though I did enjoy it and will continue to read her books. L.R. Jones is a pseudonym for Lisa Renee Jones. 

 



**Though I received this book on behalf of the Author, the thoughts and opinions expressed are solely my own.**

 

 



 

RATING: 3 OUT OF 5.

 


 

BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon | B&N | IndieBound Books-a-Million






Join the Addiction:

My Blog: | Twitter | BlogLovin’ | Facebook

Monday, February 13, 2023

The Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg



 

Publication: February 7, 2023

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

Source: Publisher

 

Synopsis:

 

From internationally bestselling author Katrine Engberg, the series that is a “gripping addition to the Scandinavian crime fiction pantheon” ( Oprah Daily ) comes to a stunning conclusion as Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner rush to untangle a long-simmering mystery before a brutal killer strikes again.

Jeppe Kørner, on leave from the police force and nursing a broken heart, has taken refuge on the island of Bornholm for the winter. Also on the island is Esther de Laurenti, a writer working on a biography on a female anthropologist with a mysterious past and coming to terms with her own crushing sense of loneliness in the wake of a dear friend’s death. When Jeppe lends a helping hand at the island’s local sawmill, he begins to realize that the island may not be the peaceful refuge it appears to be.

Back in Copenhagen, Anette Werner is tasked with leading the investigation into a severed corpse discovered on a downtown playground. As she follows the strange trail of clues, they all seem to lead back to Bornholm. With an innocent offer to check out a lead, Jeppe unwittingly finds himself in the crosshairs of a sinister mystery rooted in the past, forcing him to team up with Anette and Esther to unravel the island’s secrets before it’s too late.


With her signature “unforgettable characters and brilliant plot twists” (Kathy Reichs, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Katrine Engberg weaves a satisfying and white-knuckled finale to her Korner and Werner series that is a modern classic of Scandinavian noir.


 

******


The story takes place through a series of letters from the past and several characters in the present…Annette, Jeppe, and Esther. Though it did not seem like it at first, they each contributed to the story in their own way. It was interesting to read the different points of view and try to figure out how everything would connect in the end. That curiosity kept me turning page after page. 

 

Even though The Sanctuary is book 5 of the Korner & Werner series, I did not feel lost with this being my first book by Katrine Enberg. If anything, now I want to go back and read the other four books to see what I have been missing. The author created a story that is well written and was able to keep me guessing until the very end. There were several times that I thought I knew the who but wasn’t 100% sure of the why…And man was I completely wrong. I never saw the end coming. The Sanctuary is an atmospheric tale that grabbed my attention from the very first page. I didn’t devour the story in one go, but instead I savored it over the course of several days. It was entertaining, dark, and completely satisfying. 

Sometimes mysteries can be predictable, but happily this one was not. At least not for me. 

 

The Sanctuary is an atmospheric tale that grabbed my attention from the very first page. I didn’t devour the story in one go, but instead I savored it over the course of several days. It was entertaining, dark, and completely satisfying.


 

 

 

RATING: 4 OUT OF 5.

 

 


BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon | B&N | Google Books Kobo

Books-a-Million Apple Books | Book Depository






Join the Addiction:

My Blog: | Twitter | BlogLovin’ | Facebook







Tuesday, December 20, 2022

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James



 

Publication: March 15, 2022

Publisher: Berkley

Source: Purchased my own copy

 

Synopsis:

 

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect--a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases--a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea's surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth's mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she's not looking, and she could swear she's seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn't right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house? 

 

 

******



“Something about the Greer mansion stifled laughter and killed happiness. It might sound dramatic, but anyone who had lived there knew it was true.”

 


The Book of Cold Cases weaves back and forth between two POV’s; Shea and Beth. Beth’s POV is the past…we get to see what her life was like when she was younger, and when her parents were alive. Shea’s POV is current day. These two women couldn’t be any more different, yet they each share a troubling past they would like to escape. Shea tries to move forward in her life while running her true crime website when she isn’t working as a receptionist in a doctor’s office. It’s because of her job at the doctor’s office that she runs into Beth. Once Beth and Shea cross paths, their lives will be forever altered. 

 

Shea is very inquisitive. A seeker of justice and the truth. Shea was very determined to find out the truth no matter how long it took or what she had to do. I liked her character at first. Towards the end, her attitude sort of shifted and I didn’t really care for that too much. 

 

Beth is basically living a self-imposed isolated life at her family’s mansion. A place very few people go to outside of Beth’s family and lawyer. She comes across as cold and manipulative. She is not very likable, however as the story progresses, I did find myself empathizing with her plight a little more. The further into the story I got, the more I kept questioning, who the murderer truly was and if Beth really was that good at manipulation.

 

There is something about a spooky yet lively mansion that just really makes a paranormal mystery even more enticing. 

I came into this story, looking for a good mystery thriller, and discovered an entertaining paranormal mystery. There were some good creepy and atmospheric parts, but I wish it would have been amped up a little more than it was. Though the story started off a little slow and dragged in the middle some, it was well written, and my interest was held all the way through. 

 

 

 

 

RATING: 3½ OUT OF 5.

 

 

BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon | B&N | Google Books Kobo

Books-a-Million Apple Books | Book Depository






Join the Addiction:

My Blog: | Twitter | BlogLovin’ | Facebook




Friday, November 25, 2022

Be Your Everything by Catherine Bybee Book Spotlight!



Series: D’ANGELO’S, BOOK 2

Publication Date: NOVEMBER 15, 2022




One thing that I enjoy about Catherine's books is that they are fun, but they also have substance...heart. The characters are relatable and as soon as I start reading, I know I am in for a good time. I am generally a mood reader and one genre I am always in the mood for is a good romance. Catherine Bybee's books always promise me this and more. Be Your Everything is the second book in The D'Angelo's series, and if you have not checked out the first book, When It Falls Apart, there is no time like the present. In the meantime, check out the synopsis and the excerpt below to find out what else is in store for the D'Angelo family. There is also more info about the author below and links to purchase the book.



Synopsis:

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes a romance about childhood friends who marry in Vegas and embark on a wild ride to find their happily ever after.

With two protective older brothers and a traditional Catholic Italian mother, it’s surprising that Chloe D’Angelo can manage a date without someone in the family naysaying her romantic choice. And Dante Mancuso…oh, no. Her brother’s best friend is not a dating-app right swipe.

But when they are left unsupervised on a late night in Vegas, all of that changes. Add in a Vegas wedding chapel and a couple of “I dos” and Chloe wakes up with a ring on her finger and a hangover. Dating Dante was always a secret desire, but marriage? The rift that this news would cause in her family has the both of them keeping their nuptials to themselves as they scramble to undo their Vegas mistake.

Dante knew the rules: Chloe was off limits. Only he can’t stop once his mind starts to believe she might be his forever. Just as their attraction deepens, Chloe flees to Bali, desperate to clear her head.

All Dante has to do is keep her brothers from killing him and convince her that they are meant for each other. But first, Dante has to find her.
 





Excerpt:

“Go! I don’t want to see any of you back here until Monday.”


Chloe stood outside the back door of their home in Little Italy, surrounded by both her brothers and her soon-to-be sister-in-law. They all had small suitcases at their feet as the Uber van pulled up to take them to the airport.


Mari, their mother, had a hand on Francesca’s shoulder as they saw the bachelor/bachelorette party off.


“Mama, are you absolutely certain?” Luca, the husband-to-be, her over-worried oldest brother, couldn’t stop the concern that crossed his face anymore than he could the love he had in his eyes for the woman at his side.


He and Brooke were the real deal. Head over heels, all in . . . completely lost in each other.


Chloe couldn’t be happier for them.


They needed Vega. Boy, did they need two nights in Vegas.


“I ran this restaurant before you were born and after with all three of you jumping around. I have it, Luca. Go. Just don’t get married. Wait until you come back for that.”


“What about babies?” Gio, the middle child and smart-ass in the family, asked.


“That you can do,” Mari said with a wink.


Brooke knelt to Franny’s level and gave the eight-year-old a kiss. “Listen to your nonna.”


There were hugs and waves as Giovanni, or Gio, as he was more often called, shoved all the suitcases into the back of the van. 


Gio took the front seat as the rest of them climbed into the back.


“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Luca said to his brother. “Busiest time of the year.”


“It is not. That’s in the summer,” Chloe argued. It was the last week of November. The family restaurant was fully staffed and ran like a well-oiled machine, even with three of their employees out at the same time. “It’s going to be nothing but family and friends, celebrations and ceremonies from here on out. This is the last chance for you two to let loose until it’s all over.” Chloe reminded them.


“You mean until after Christmas,” Gio said.


“Right.” They weren’t taking their honeymoon until after Christmas. After they returned a week into the new year, then it would be Chloe’s turn to get out of town. Her long-awaited tickets to Bali were burning a hole in her pocket.


This was her last opportunity to cut loose until it was all over as well.


Chloe watched their family home disappear from sight. It was a four-story building with the family restaurant on the bottom floor. The second story was the family home where they’d all grown up, and the third floor was where LUca, Brooke, and Franny now lived. On the very top was what used to be guest quarters but now was the bachelor pad that Gio took over. Secretly, Chloe was hoping Gio would find Mrs. Right and move on himself so she could occupy the upstairs apartment as her own space. She loved her mother, but living with her was getting old. As an Italian, Chloe wasn’t going anywhere until she married, that’s just the way things were done in her culture.


“Franny is going to be okay, right?” Brooke asked Luca as they settled in for the short ride to the airport.


Chloe rolled her eyes.


Francesca, Luca’s daughter from his first unfortunate marriage, was probably already elbow-deep in gelato and milking Mari for all the attention and goodies a nonna could give her.


“She’ll be fine,” Luca said, kissing Brooke’s forehead.


The ride to the airport took less than ten minutes, a perk when you lived in San Diego and everything was close. 


Getting through security and waiting in the airport would take longer than the actual flight to Vegas, but it beats a long drive across the California desert any day of the week.


“Thanks again for inviting Mayson to join you guys,” Brooke said to Gio and Luca.


“He’s a friend of yours. He’s a friend of ours.”


“Besides, we need even numbers,” Chloe added. As she said that, she saw Salena waving them over to her side before they entered the TSA line.


“Vegas, baby!” Salena all but yelled for everyone to heard. 


Chloe tossed her arms around one of her dearest friends for a hug. They’d known each other before braces and periods. As ride-and-die friends went, Salena was someone Chloe could count on to be there.


“We could have picked you up,” Gio said.


Salena, who lived in Little Italy as well, shrugged. “It’s okay. I had JOey take me.”


“Joey? Do I know Joey?”


She waved a hand. “Flavor of the month.”


Gio narrowed his eyes. “You’re worse than me.”


“No one is worse than you,” Chloe and Salena said in unison.


The three of them fell in line behind Luca and Brooke, who were arm in arm and whispering in each other’s ears.


“They do know that we have separate rooms, right?” Chloe asked her brother.


“Yes.”


“I don’t think that’s going to matter,” Salena added.


“Divide and conquer. Once everyone arrives, we have dinner, pull straws on who is in charge for the night, and go to our separate clubs.” Gio lowered his voice. “We’ll give them tomorrow afternoon to knock it out.”


Chloe laughed. “We may never see them again.”


Salena nudged Chloe’s shoulder as they inched their way up the line. “Is Dante flying directly from Italy?’


Just hearing Dante’s name had Chloe standing taller. Gio’s best friend, and the one boy that had always been “off-limits” for oh so many reasons, was the cause of many sleepless nights.


The man only grew more beautiful with every year that passed. 


And he knew it.


And the women knew it.


All the women!


“He’s already in the States. New York, He’ll be in Vegas about an hour after we land.”


Salena nudged Chloe again with a grin once Gio turned around.


Stop. Chloe mouthed the word without sound.


Once they moved through security, they found their gate for the forty-five-minutes wait to board the plane.


Salena and Chloe sat with their luggage while the others went to find coffee and water for the flight.


“Are you prepared for a weekend with Dante?” Salena asked once they were alone.


Chloe shook her head. “Listen to you. It was a high school crush.”


Salena laughed. “I’m pretty sure it started in fifth grade and never ended.”


“He’s lived in Italy for the better part of five years.”


“And every time he comes home, you forget how to speak.”


“That’s not true.”


Salena glared. 


Okay, it was a little bit true. “I did better last year.” It helped that she stayed out of his orbit that time around and he was only home for a month.


“How long is he staying this time?”


“No idea,” Chloe said. Her cell phone pinged, grabbing her attention.


She opened her messages inside a dating app she’d been on for a few weeks.


“Who is that?” Salena asked, looking over her shoulder.


Chloe glanced at the image on her screen, the one she’d swiped right on. He was thirty, no kids. Worked somewhere in La Jolla. “His name is Eric. We’ve been texting for a few days.”


“He’s cute.”


“I thought so.”


His text came through, asking what she was doing. She started typing.


“Have you met him yet?”


Chloe shook her head, finished her message about the bachelorette party in Vegas.


“Are you going to?”


Three dots indicated he was typing.


:Only if he asks.” As progressive as she was, she found it necessary for the man to take the first steps.


“You know . . . if you stack the desk with dates while Dante is in town, it might be easier to be around the man.”


Salena had a point.


Chloe’s phone buzzed.


How about meeting for coffee when you get back? Wednesday enough time for you to sleep off the hangover?


Chloe showed the message to Salena.


“Say yes.”


Her friend was right. Chloe needed all the help she could get when Dante was home. If her attention was elsewhere, maybe he’d lose his appeal.


She agreed to coffee with Eric on Wednesday and told him she’d get in touch when she returned.


“I have a feeling this weekend is going to be one for the record books,” Salena said as she watched more passengers arrive for their flight.


“It’s likely the one and only time I’ll be in Vegas with both my brothers.”


“Considering how they’ve helicoptered you since your papa passed, that's not a bad thing.”


She’d been seventeen when their father died. Luca became the head of the family while he had a one-year-old and a failing marriage. What a crappy couple of years that had been. Now, things are looking up. For all of them.


She’d finished her college classes and earned her business degree. But instead of working for someone else, she wanted to do something on her own. She blamed her family for that. Yes, she waited tables at their restaurant and, honestly, liked the job. But what she loved more than anything was teaching yoga. Her trip to Bali was supposed to happen the year the world shut down, and it was only now that time and the world’s health were giving her the opportunity to go. She knew, somehow, that the trip was going to guide her to whatever her path was going to be. Maybe she’d start her own studio or her own online channel. Brooke had a boatload of knowledge about marketing and was on board with helping her start up. Financially, Chloe had banked nearly everything she’d earned from the first day she started working and was more ready than most to begin her future.


Her father, in all his wisdom, had taken out a life insurance policy that their mother had divided and put into investment plans for each of them. Luca immediately put everything in his name to his daughter. Giovanni was itching to invest in a vineyard. The resident sommelier wanted to spend time in Tuscany as much as she wanted to spend time in Bali. So, while they did pull shifts waiting tables, doing what had to be done to make the family restaurant run, it wasn’t their lifelong ambition. Well, Luca was the chef, and that was his life’s choice . . . and she and Gio were thankful for it.


“They promised not to act like big brothers in Vegas,” Chloe said.


“Yeah, well, they aren't going to the same strip clubs we are.”


The image of her brothers holding a hand over her eyes made her smile. “Thank God for that.”


*****


The Venetian Las Vegas was one of those hotels where every room was a suite. Put two of them together and everyone had their own bed with plenty of room.


Two rooms for the women, two for the men.


On different floors. Although Luca wanted to argue that arrangement when they were checking in.


“Oh, no. If we’re out late, you are not going to pull that older-brother card on us,” Chloe started in at the reception desk.


“How late do you plan on being out?” Luca asked.


“The real question is how early in the morning will we be walking in,” Salena informed him.


Gio patted his brother’s shoulder. “They’re all talk.”


Brooke waved her phone in the air. “Carment just landed.”


Carmen was Brooke’s best friend, and maid of honor, from Seattle.


“When is Mayson arriving?”

“Not until three.”


“We should be good and buzzed by then,” Gio pointed out.


The receptionist handed them their keys and they headed toward the elevators.


They passed the casino, and even at eleven in the morning, the people sitting in front of the slot machines appeared as if they'd been there all night.


“Do you gamble?” Salena asked Brooke.


“I don’t mind giving it a whirl, but I don't see dropping a paycheck chasing odds that are stacked against me.”


Gio nudged his brother. “I take it you didn’t tell her about your little addiction.”


Broke snapped her attention toward the two of them.


Luca pushed him away, punched his shoulder. “He’s kidding.”


Chloe laughed, pressed their floor when they got on the elevators.


Gio pressed two floors higher.


Luca moaned.


“Dinner at six thirty, downstairs at the steakhouse,” Gio reminded Chloe.


“We’ll be there.”


A few moments later Chloe grabbed Brooke’s free hand and dragged her out of the small space. “C’mon. Time to have fun.”


They laughed as they made their way to their rooms. Inside, they opened the first of the two doors. The welcome package they’d requested–complete with chilled champagne and a basket of fruit–was in the living room portion of one of the suites.


The door between the rooms was open, and in the other room was another bottle of bubbly and a basket of cheese, crackers, and cold meats.


“Salena and I will take this room and you and Carment take the other,” Chloe suggested.


“Sounds good to me,” Brooke said as she pushed through and rolled her suitcase to the second room.


“This is beautiful.”


The view from the massive windows looking out over the Vegas Strip was something to marvel at.


“I wonder if it’s even brighter at night with Christmas lights?” Salena asked.


“Probably.” Chloe turned to her friend and hanged her the champagne. “Let’s get this party started.”


“Wow. This bathroom is huge!” Brooke’s voice called from the other room.


“Glad you like it.”


The sound of the cork popping out of the bottle filled the room. “Hey yo!”


Brooke bounced back in, a smile on her face. “I heard that.”


Salena poured the wine and Chloe made a toast. “To your last single weekend in Vegas.”


“You make it sound like we’re going out to find random men to hook up with.”


“Not hook up with, but look up at,” Chloe countered.


“Thunder Down Under.” Salena lifted her glass high.


“Magic Mike,” Chloe said.


They drank the bubble wine and turned to the food. “Pacing, food, and hydration,” Brooke added.


That was the plan.


Only by the time Carmen arrived, less than an hour later, the first bottle of champagne was gone and the second was open.


*****


Dante Mancuso walked through the Vegas casino with a suitcase the size of a smart car. To anyone looking, they’d think he was moving in and not there for a weekend bachelor party. 


He bypassed the reception desk, already aware of the room he was in, and headed toward the elevators.


Music met his ears as he approached the door to the suite. He smiled, anticipating his friends.


It had been too long.


He knocked twice. “Open up, you drunk bastards.”


The door swung open wide. “About time.” Gio stood there, a huge smile.


God, it was great to see him.


They hugged long and hard. Strong pats on the back. “You look good.”


“You do, too.”


He stepped in the room, dragging his suitcase behind.


“Jesus, Dante, what do you have in there, a body?”


“Shut up. I was going to ship it from Italy, but this made more sense.”


Gio stood back, lifted his voice to the room beyond the door connecting the two. “Luca, Dante is here.”


Luca walked around the corner, put the glass in his hand down. “Damn, look at you.”


They hugged. “Doing it again, huh?”


“Doing it right this time,” Luca told him.


“I can’t wait to meet her.”


Luca stepped back. “We can go to their room now and I can introduce you.”


Gio stepped between the two of them. “Oh, no. We just got here. They’re probably tits-up in fingernail polish and facial lotion. Dinner is soon enough.” Gio patted Luca’s chest.


“Who is with the bachelorettes?” Dante asked, fishing for information.


“Chloe and Salena. And carmen, who you haven’t met,” Gio told him.


The guest list brought an instant smile to his face. “Salena, huh? That’s gonna spell trouble.”


“Brooke and Carmen will keep the younger girls in check,” Luca told him.


Dante patted his friend on the back. “If that’s what you want to believe, old man.” Luca earned the title by being the oldest and cemented it ot being Mr. Responsibility from the day his father passed. “You look happy.”


Luca sighed. “I love her. “


“And Franny?”


“She loved her, too.”


Dante shrugged out of his coat. “What are we drinking?


“Whiskey.”


“Perfect.”





About the Author

Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. 
In total she has written thirty-six beloved books that have collectively sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.
Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star.  After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. 
She now writes full time and has penned the Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series. Learn more about Catherine and her books at www.catherinebybee.com