Behind the Bar is Book Two in the Behind the Love Trilogy. Behind the Bar picks up right where Behind the Altar ended–at the wedding of Dean and Leah. This time it’s Susie and Reggie who must struggle to find out if their love can endure a separation and rivals trying to drive them further apart. Reggie’s gambling and Susie’s struggle with her past push them further apart. Join the crew at the Victory Tavern, including Sally Jean, Charlie, and of course, the cheerleaders and best friends of Reggie and Susie–Dean and Leah.
What would you do if you threw away the Super Bowl on a last minute end-zone interception?
Meet Cade Prescott: backup quarterback for the Los Angeles Flash in their new Hollywood Stadium. He alone is responsible for his team losing the Super Bowl, so he escapes to a small college town in upstate New York to hide and lick his wounds.
Meet Andie Wales: Research librarian. She and her archaeologist family share a vivid interest in King David. In addition to his official history, she's also an expert on his love lives [plural, because of his multiple wives]. She works in a library in a small college town in upstate New York.
“… enchanting story of two people from completely different worlds” – Keli Morgan
~ Description ~
Pro quarterback Cade Prescott’s last play was to lose the Super Bowl for his team. To escape the bad press and recover from the disastrous season, he changes his appearance and hides away at a sleepy university town.
Andie Wales’s first love is researching ancient bad boy kings. She is blissfully unaware of the Super Bowl and modern day bad boys. When her dog meets and mates with Cade’s dog, Andie’s first concern is to get her dog to a vet. She gets waylaid by Cade and his hunky good looks and has no idea just how out of her league Cade is.
Despite his secrets, Cade feels differently about Andie and thinks he might be falling in love. Unfortunately, his past catches up with him, and he is forced to make a difficult decision. Can a professional athlete and a research librarian truly prove the axiom that opposites not just attract, but were meant for each other?
~ My Review ~
Be prepared to spend your afternoon with this couple once you start reading! Couldn't pull myself away as I dove into this lusty book. Cade and Andie are hot! Even though they try to deny anything more than physical attraction going on, I couldn't wait to see what would happen when they started seeing each other differently.
They are both great characters. I love how independent and strong Andie is. I think the thing I love most about Cade is learning about his past and seeing the man he will grow into as the series develops. The secondary plot of them both loving dogs and working together because of that was intriguing too.
My only complaint? The darn cliffhanger and the fact that the other book isn't out yet! A fun read and I look forward to the remaining books in the series! 5 big stars!
Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling Asian American author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope.
Subscribe to her mailing list for upcoming books and giveaways: http://bit.ly/RachAyala and find her books at online retailers Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple iBookstore, and Smashwords.
Shy accountant Veronica Bass is determined to live it up a little before settling down with a perfectly respectable man to live a perfectly respectable life, just the way her mother wants.
So when rock star Diego Diaz flashes his bedroom eyes at her during a wedding reception, Veronica swallows her shyness and leads him to the nearest hotel room. Now this total sex god keeps popping up in her life, and she finds herself telling some not-so-little white lies to keep him interested.
Diego's world evolves around music, women throwing themselves at him, and having fun. His lifestyle hasn't allowed him to find the right girl to settle down with until now, but his own secret stands in the way of forming a lasting relationship with Veronica.
Is their love destined to last for only a New York minute?
Sensuality Level: Sensual
My Review:
I was lucky enough to "meet" Veronica several years ago when I read Dozier's first novel and she was Amanda's stuffy, rule-minding friend. I loved reading this story and seeing another side to Veronica, a spicy side, ready to take on the world and one sexy music man. However, in her effort to be a different person, she could just lose the very thing she is striving for!
Diego is enough to make anyone's mouth water. Tattooed up with the body of a Greek god, but sensual and feeling on the inside with a yearning for a true mate to change his life and complete him. If Veronica and Diego were just confident enough in themselves and each other to be completely honest, it would be smooth sailing... then again, where's the fun in that?
A great read full of sensuality and a swoon-worthy romance, plus a few realities of life that make every relationship complicated but also worth the effort. I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it. 5 stars!
Shy accountant Veronica Bass is determined to live it up a little before settling down with a perfectly respectable man to live a perfectly respectable life, just the way her mother wants.
So when rock star Diego Diaz flashes his bedroom eyes at her during a wedding reception, Veronica swallows her shyness and leads him to the nearest hotel room. Now this total sex god keeps popping up in her life, and she finds herself telling some not-so-little white lies to keep him interested.
Diego's world evolves around music, women throwing themselves at him, and having fun. His lifestyle hasn't allowed him to find the right girl to settle down with until now, but his own secret stands in the way of forming a lasting relationship with Veronica.
Is their love destined to last for only a New York minute?
"They have the connection, physical and emotion … However, they left out some things from each other and that's the real dilemma here. It's all good because it ends nicely!" — Bookaholic Fairies
“Every time I was away from this book, I couldn't wait to get back to it. This is an amazing read...” Reader
“Melinda has done it again!!! I absolutely love the way that she makes us all swoon for her characters in her stories and not be able to put it down until we are done.” Reader
Excerpt:
Time to focus on the Cosmo article she read two days before about flirting. She sipped her citrus martini, and as she brought the glass down, she licked her lips and glanced at her target. He actually flinched, the hunger in his eyes darkening. Barely enough for anyone to notice, but she did. She ran her hand up and down her neck, closing her eyes for a minute. When she opened them to look his way again, he had already started to walk in her direction. No, he didn’t walk; he actually strutted like a man on a mission.
She was his mission. Shit. Shit. Shit. Play it cool, Veronica. You’re a strong, sensual woman. You can do this.
She sipped her yellow drink again to calm herself, and if she was lucky, he wouldn’t notice her shaking. Calm. Sensual. Like a boss.
He positioned himself in front of her, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a tumbler of brown liquid, and rocked on the heels of his dark Dolce & Gabbana brogues.
“Hello.” His voice reverberated down to her core.
She gulped her martini to gain more liquid courage, but rather than bravery, the unthinkable happened. She swallowed the cherry that swam in her drink and the tickle in her throat drove her into a coughing frenzy.
She tried to smile through it, to let him know all was fine and she could still be the sexy seductress. As his large, firm hand patted her back, she fanned the air and grabbed his tumbler, downing the thick liquid.
After a last cough, she cleared her throat one more time. “Whoa. What was that?”
“Whiskey. Neat.” He grinned, his gorgeous caramel eyes lit with an inner glow. “You okay?”
A warmth spread over her cheeks. Holy freaking embarrassment. “It was strong.”
“I could’ve warned you, I guess, but you were busy.” He grinned and squeezed her shoulder with his large hand.
Was that an accent? Damn, could he be more perfect? Immediately, she glanced at his hand that revealed several tattoos peeking out of his jacket hem, from his wrist all the way down to his fingers. No ring. Thank God.
“Can we forget that happened? I’m not usually like that.” She waved her hand in the air and winced inwardly.
God, she wanted to erase that doomed first impression. She was confident, dammit. She didn’t want this dreamy man to know she could be less than sophisticated. Her act was more difficult than she imagined.
“It’s a shame. I kind of liked the unusual first encounter. Not that I want you to choke, but I was ready to save you.” He braced his tattooed hand against the wall behind her, moving closer. His manly smell was soapy, with a hint of wood.
Save her he might. “Who are you?”
He squinted his glowing eyes and turned his head to the side. He didn’t say anything for a long time, just studied her and then rolled on the heels of his feet. “Who are you?”
His “r” rolled off his tongue with a Spanish accent of some kind.
“When someone answers a question with a question, it’s one of two things. Either the person doesn’t have anything interesting to say or he’s hiding something. Are you hiding something?”
He lowered his voice and ran a hand up her arm. “I think we all do. Why are you hiding in the corner?”
Damned if the man’s touch sent shivers all the way to her toes. “So someone like you would find me.”
“Like me? How am I?”
“A man with questions … and a devious grin.”
As suspected, his smile grew and his gaze sought hers. “Well, I came over to tell you how stunning you look, but being a woman of such deep insight, you might take that the wrong way, no?”
“I’ll take it any way you want.” Yep. The alcohol had definitely gotten to her.
Trailer:
Author Bio:
Melinda is a multi-published contemporary romance author with books from Crimson Romance, Swoon Romance and The Wild Rose Press represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. She lives in Guatemala, Central America with her husband/college sweetheart who brings "mucho amor" to her life. Melinda enjoys being the queen of her household and dreams of being pampered fully by her three boys once they are grown. Melinda's guilty pleasures include reality t.v., traveling, blogging and playing Farmville.
Okay, I'm seriously freaking out just a little bit! Most of you know I've been working really hard on the McCallister's Paradise series, getting ready to publish the first 3 books all together on April 7th. Lucky for me, I've also been doing other boxed set projects, and I met a wonderful new artist who is awesome! She made a video trailer for me, and I hope you enjoy. I'm over the moon about it! Check it out!
Fall
in love with the strong men and smart women of McCallister’s Paradise!
At
their tropical island resort, the McCallister family works hard. Life in
Paradise should be perfect. After all, the place is great for a romantic
getaway. Unfortunately, the five McCallister siblings are still searching for
their happily ever afters… and romance always seems just out of reach.
But
determined hearts won’t be denied. And when love is on the line, a McCallister
doesn't fall halfway!
Eight years ago, Grace went to New York to meet the father she never knew. Drawn into a frenetic life among Manhattan's über-rich, she ends up staying—until the collapse of her marriage sends her fleeing back to California.
After his college girlfriend dumped him without explanation, Logan spent eight years building his career and sampling some of L.A.’s finest talent. Now that Grace is back in town, he can’t stop thinking about her and wondering, What if…?
This story is so great! I read it in just one day, unable to put it down. The characters have a lot to work out, and my heart ached for poor Grace as she worked through the aftermath of being with an abusive husband. Logan was just so dang sweet. Really great hero material. Perfect book boyfriend!
The writer’s style is wonderfully easy to read with great pacing and flow. The story itself is a real page-turner. I read this book before reading book 1, but loved it so much that I’m going back to read the first in the series and see what Eva’s story is all about. I highly recommend this! 5+ stars!!
