THIRD CHANCES

An arrogant playboy and a prim, young schoolteacher face off in this explicit new-adult romance.

Novelist Smoak (James the Christmas Grouch, 2018, etc.) introduces readers to Daphne Hughes as she prepares to leave town for her friend Alina’s bachelorette party. Twenty-three-year-old Daphne compulsively cleans her apartment and reviews checklists before she departs for her trip. When her girlfriends arrive at her home in a limo, excited to head to the airport, they all continually refer to Daphne as “Momma bear,” another indication that she is the prude of the group. Once the women arrive at the Blue Parrot Resort in Costa Rica, they run into a group of men they knew in college. The guys are there to celebrate the impending marriage of their friend James. When Daphne meets the groom’s brother, Rob, she recognizes him as the mysterious hottie she used to admire around campus. And Rob recognizes Daphne as the angelic beauty he always marveled at from afar. As the two are finally introduced, it becomes immediately apparent that they are polar opposites, but neither can deny an attraction to the other. Thus a series of push-and-pull scenes begins: Rob attempts to lure Daphne into bed, and she struggles to resist him on the grounds that she is uninterested in a casual affair. Slowly, Rob realizes that he actually wants something more than a fling, too. Unfortunately, Daphne has already lost faith in their potential as a couple. Can Rob convince her to give him a shot before the weekend is over? Although Daphne seems neurotic, the chemistry between her and Rob is sufficiently well-rendered that readers will long to see the couple connect. The novel is a stand-alone but includes many characters from Smoak’s Hunted series. The prose speeds along, maintaining momentum through the many emotional upheavals. With an emphasis on bawdy sexual content, alcohol, and drug use, this romance is not meant for straight-laced readers.

A lusty tale of romantic suspense full of illicit temptations and second (and third) chances.